Tippoo Tib, the story of his career in Central Africa

*^^&

H. BRDDE^

Qfarnell Hniueraitg Ethrarg

Jitl;aca. Netn ^atk

BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE

FISKE ENDOWMENT FUND

THE BEQUESTOF

WILLARD FISKE

LIBRARIAN OF THE UNIVERSITY 1868-1883

1905

The date shows when this volume was taken.

To renew this book copy the call No. and give to
the UDiahan.

OME USE RULES

a...20Q2..

All Books subject to Recall
All borrowers must regis-
ter in the library to borrow
■hnnlfg for home use.

books must be re-
turned at end of college
year for inspection and
repairs.

Limited books must be re-
turned within the four week
limit and not renewed.

Students must return all
books before leaving town.
Officers should arrange for
the return of Books wanted
during their absence from
town.

Volumes of periodicals
and of pamphlets are held
in the library as much as
possible. For special pur-
poses they are given out for
a limited time.

Borrowers should not use
their library privileges for
the benefit of other persons.

Br*oks of, special value
and gift books, when the
giver wishes it, are not
allowed to circulate.

Readers are asked to re-
port all cases of books
marked or mutilated. '

Do not deface books by marks and writing.

Cornell University Library
DT 361. B86
TiPPOO Tib, the s^^^^^^

"^"l924 028 752 644

B Cornell University
M Library

The original of tliis book is in
tine Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028752644

TIPPOO TIB

TIPPOO TIB.

TIPPOO TIB

THE STORY OF HIS CAREER IN
CENTRAL AFRICA

NARRATED FROM HIS OWN ACCOUNTS

BY

DR. HEINRICH ERODE

AND TRANSLATED BY

H. HAVELOCK

WITH A PREFACE BY

SIR CHARLES ELIOT, K.C.M.G.

LONDON
EDWARD ARNOLD

41 & 43, MADDOX STREET, BOND STREET, W.

^Publisfjcr to tfie JnUta ©ffiw

1907

[Ali rights reserved]

PKEFACE

The name of Tippoo Tib is familiar to all who took
an interest in the affairs of East Africa or the Congo
fifteen or twenty years ago. He was the most
remarkable of the band of Arab traders and ex-
plorers who, starting from the East Coast, pene-
trated to the Congo, and were the rulers of what-
ever country they happened to be in, though they
established no states and did not even claim the
right of conquest on behalf of their Sovereign, the
Sultan of Zanzibar. It is curious to notice how
much and how little they effected. They traversed
enormous distances, and demonstrated the practica-
bility of many routes through savage kingdoms which
were commonly considered pathless wildernesses ;
but they made no attempt to attach these regions
to Zanzibar, or even to convert them to Moham-
medanism.

The whole history of the Arabs in East Africa
shows the same characteristics. They founded their
cities on the coast, but made little effort to move
inland, and in the rare cases where they did so, as
at Tabora and Ujiji, the reason was simply that
their slave-raids had depopulated the region near
the sea, and they were forced to move on to districts
where the game was not so shy. But their terri-
torial and political instincts were feeble. The
effective power of the Sultan rarely extended more
than ten miles inland from the shore of the main-
land. Beyond that limit, every Arab assumed the

vi PEEFACE

right to deal with the natives exactly as he pleased.
But, however successful he might be, he did not
extend the Sultan's authority, and if he perished, the
Sultan did not feel called on to avenge his death.

Dr. Erode, who has had exceptional opportunities
for studying the career of Tippoo Tib, published
some time ago in the ' Proceedings of the Institute
of Oriental Languages' his autobiography, tran-
scribed in Roman letters from his own manuscript,
and accompanied by a translation. This work is
now supplemented by a biography giving a con-
nected chronological account of this adventurous
career, which is worth reading both as a story and
as a valuable addition to the obscure and scanty
records of African history.

Its hero, Hamed bin Muhammed, better known
by his nickname of Tippoo Tib, was of mixed Arab
and negro descent, and the latter strain showed
itself markedly in his physiognomy. Still, accord-
ing to the ideas of Zanzibar, he was an Arab. Few
dates are mentioned in his life until near the end.
Arabs rarely know their ages exactly or keep any
accurate diary. He was born in Zanzibar, and at
the age of about eighteen went on a journey to
Ujiji with his father, and continued it by himself
to Urua, thus inaugurating the long series of
trading expeditions which formed the occupation
of his life. The chief objects of these expeditions
were slaves and ivory. Ivory was plentiful, and
the natives, who had often no notion of its value,
were ready to sell it absurdly cheap. If they made
difficulties, vigorous measures were adopted without
scruple or hesitation. The journey to Urua was
succeeded by another to Urungu, at the southern
end of Tanganyika, in the course of which Tippoo
Tib met Livingstone near Lake Mueru.

PEEFACE vii

These were comparatively short journeys, but
Tippoo Tib now proceeded to make a much more
serious expedition, which was the foundation of his
influence and importance. He seems to have started
about 1867, and was away some fifteen years. Most
of this time was spent in what is now the territory
of the Congo Free State. There were Arab settle-
ments in these regions, for the great distance from
Zanzibar and the necessity of having some fortified
centre and base of operations had obliged the
traders to depart somewhat from their habits of
predaceous migration. We hear that their head-
quarters — Nyangwe — was a considerable town, with
so many rice-fields round it that it was called New
Bengal. His doings during this long absence are
described in considerable detail. Part of the time
he bore the title of Sultan of Utetera.

According to his own account, he claimed the
sultanate in virtue of a perfectly fictitious relation-
ship between his mother and the local royal family,
with the result that the reigning Sultan resigned
peacefully in his favour the day after he arrived.
One cannot help suspecting that there is some slight
lacuna in the narrative here. During this period
he met Cameron, and also Stanley, whom he guided
for a part of his journey towards the end of 1876.
After parting from Stanley, he again spent some
time in warring and trading, both in Kassongo and
Tabora. He met Wissmann, and escorted him to the
coast, and, as Dr. Erode says, if anything can justify
his life it is that he was a faithful guide to Cameron,
Stanley, and Wissmann, and had no small share in
their success, though it must be admitted that his
relations with these eminent explorers were not
unruffled.

His relations with Stanley were renewed in 1887.

viii PEEFACE

After returning to Zanzibar in 1882, he went back
to Utetera, but after a short absence was summoned
home again by the Sultan. When Stanley organized
his mission for the relief of Emin, he invited Tippoo
Tib to accompany him as guide, and, on behalf of
the King of the Belgians, oifered him the title of
Governor of certain provinces of the Congo Free
State. Details of this expedition, which was Tippoo
Tib's last important performance, are given in the
biography.

It must be admitted that Tippoo Tib was a slave-
trader. These pages, based upon his own statements,
give some inkling of the unscrupulous cruelty with
which he dealt with natives, and clearly much
remains untold. In excuse, one can only say that
the cruelty of the slave-traders was not greater
than the cruelty of the natives to one another.
One eminent Arab, when criticized by Europeans
for his slave-trading propensities, used to relate how
he had fallen in with a tribe who were accustomed
to eat their prisoners of war. He bought all these
prisoners for a small sum, and made them his slaves,
which he maintained, with a logic difficult to con-
trovert, was far better for them than the other fate.
Still, no doubt Tippoo Tib's commercial journeys
were in the main plundering expeditions. Anything
else, any introduction of law and order, any spread
of civilization, was merely subsidiary and incidental.
But he was intelligent, not wantonly brutal, as
many traders were ; he had a far better idea of
organizing a rough-and-ready administration than
most Arabs, and he was always friendly to Euro-
peans. By the assistance which he rendered to
them he indirectly contributed in no small measure
to the civilization of Africa, for which the Arabs
themselves have done so little.

PEEFACB ix

He was practically King of an enormous territory,
but his power was never oJBficially recognized even
by his own Sovereign. Had it been, the future of
East and Central Africa might have been materially
changed, for the chief argument advanced by the
European Powers who appropriated the hinterland
behind the coast was that the Sultan had no
effective jurisdiction over the natives there. But,
as Dr. Erode points out, Seyyid Burghash, the
Sultan of the period, had no talent or inclination
for politics, and cared only for trade in its crudest
aspects. He wished to get as much ivory as possible
from the interior, but he did not care anything
about the position and character of the countries
which produced it. Yet perhaps pessimism rather
than stupidity was the motive of his conduct.
' Hamed,' he said to Tippoo Tib, ' be not angry with
me ; I want to have no more to do with the main-
land. The Europeans want to take Zanzibar here
from me ; how should I be able to keep the main-
land?' And Tippoo Tib adds: 'When I heard
those words I knew that it was all up with us.' It
certainly was. The Sultan's dominions on the main-
land soon became little more than a legal fiction,
and he retains Zanzibar only on condition of also
accepting the doubtful blessing of British protection.

The disappearance of the Arabs from East and
Central Africa can hardly give cause for regret.
They were seen at their best in such men as our hero,
who, if he had had a free hand, might have estab-
lished a firm if somewhat rapacious Government.
But, on the whole, they were merely a nation of
slave-traders, without much dignity or romance, and
illustrated the demoralizing effect of slavery on the
slave-owner. In the towns on the coast, where
they had plantations, and in the island of Zanzibar,

X PKEFACE

cultivation was kept up by a wasteful profusion of
slave labour ; but they were careless of the interior,
though they knew its good points and potentialities
far better than Europeans. For administration,
development, even for conquest, they showed a
complete apathy. They cared for nothing but the
simple right to help themselves to valuables when
and how they chose. They were destructive, and
did not even preserve any good that they might find
in native institutions. Had they retained any con-
siderable tract of country, such beneficial legislation
as the abolition of the slave-trade, and the prohibition
to import alcohol and weapons within a certain zone,
would probably have proved impossible.

I used to see Tippoo Tib occasionally when I was
His Majesty's Agent and Consul- General in Zanzi-
bar in 1901 and 1902. His features were of the
negro type, and produced at first an impression that
he was a low-caste hybrid ; but this impression was
dispelled by his polite and dignified manners and
his flow of speech. The tremulous twitching of his
eyelids was very noticeable, and it was generally
believed that this was the origin of his name Tippoo
Tib, ' the blinker,' although he himself, not liking
the personal allusion, had other explanations. The
touch of mockery in his manner and language, to
which Dr. Erode more than once alludes, was very
noticeable, but not unpleasant nor discourteous. He
did not live to execute the journey to Europe which
Dr. Erode tells us he was planning, but, not long
ago, in the language of Mohammedanism, he removed
to ' the abode of permanency,' though some Hindu
cycle of transmigration would seem more congenial
to such a wanderer and explorer.

C. ELIOT.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

Having been resident for a considerable time in
Zanzibar, I had the opportunity of becoming closely
acquainted with the hero of this work, and I
succeeded in inducing him to recount the story of
his life, which seemed to me of interest in view of
the important part which he has played in the
history of African exploration. His descriptions
were set down by him in Swahili in Arabic
characters, and by me transcribed into Roman
script, in which form they appeared, together with
a German translation, in the 'Proceedings of the
Institute of Oriental Languages,' Part IH., fifth and
sixth yearly issues.

In the preface of that study I pointed out that its
publication in that place primarily served a linguistic
purpose, and announced that I intended to work up
the material furnished me by Tippoo Tib into a work
on his life which should be generally intelligible.

The present book is the carrying out of that
announcement. Owing to urgent professional work,
its publication has been delayed longer than I

xi

xii AUTHOE'S PREFACE

anticipated. Within the framework of the life-
history of a prominent personality it has heen my
object to lay before the reader, even though
unfamiliar with African affairs, a picture of the
varying fortunes of the Dark Continent before it
gradually fell into European hands. The historical
introduction in the first chapter may seem to many
far-fetched, yet in the interest of the work as a
Avhole I was loth to omit it. Should any reader
find it wearisome, I beg him to begin at the second
chapter, but whoever does not shrink from the
trouble of reading it through will find in it many
a hint which will make the subsequent descriptions
more comprehensible.

Before the work leaves my hands I feel it my
duty to express my thanks to aU those who have
afforded me their counsel and co-operation during
its compilation.

THE AUTHOR.

Zanzibar,

September, 1903.

[The death of Tippoo Tib since the original
edition was published has necessitated the addition
of a few words by the author, which wiU be found
on p. 253.]

CONTENTS

CHAPTEE I

HISTOEICAL INTEODUCTION : EAST AFBICA UP TO THE EEIGN

OP SEYYin SAID (1806-1856)

PAGES

The oldest accounts in Herodotus and the Bible — Finds
in Mashonaland — ' Periplus of the Erythraean Sea ' —
Frequent existence of negro slaves in Arabia — Political
conditions in Arabia in the seventh century favour
migration — The chronicles of Kilwa — Arabian and
Persian immigrations about the ninth century —
Founding of cities — Greatest prosperity of Kilv7a
about the twelfth century — Active commercial rela-
tions vyith India and China — Portuguese rule (six-
teenth to middle of eighteenth century) ; its culmina-
tion and decline — After their expulsion internecine
struggle among the Arabs — Final victory of the
Busayds — Fresh period of glory under Seyyid Said —
Extension of political influence to the interior —
Tabora, Ujiji ----- 1—11

CHAPTEE II

THE FIRST JOURNEYS OF TIPPOO TIB

Gradual advance into the interior — Tippoo Tib's gene-
alogy — His bringing-up — First short journey to the
coast — With his father to Ugangi • — Journey to
Tabora — The small-pox — By Tabora to Tanganyika —
Goes on to Urua— Independent temper of the young
merchant — Commercial relations — Ivory — Eevolu -
tions in Unyanyembe — Conflict between Mkasiva
xiii

xiv CONTENTS

I'AGE

and Mnywa Sere — Arrogance of the Tembo-drinker —
Political changes in Zanzibar — Preparations for war
— The ' Besar ' Thenei bin Amur — Treachery of the
Indian Musa — Defeat of Mnywa Sere and installa-
tion of Mkasiva . - - - 12 — 23

CHAPTBE III

JOUENEY TO ia?AHUA

Journey to Tanganyika — Experiences of Tippoo Tib's
brother — Trade with India — Famine on the coast —
Wanyamwezi carriers not to be had — Wasaramo
enlisted — Flight of all the carriers — Punitive raid
through Usaramo — ' Kingugwa chui ' and ' Kumba-
kumba ' — Urori — Sultan Merere — Favourable trade re-
lations — Euemba — Continuance of march to Itahua —
Sultan Nsama's reputation for great power and cruelty
— Wealth and strength of the country — Fortified
capital — Tippoo Tib's own account of the reception,
his treachery and overthrow, flight and pursuit — Eich
booty — Eeturn to Urungu — Meeting with Livingstone
— His descriptions and their relation to Tippoo Tib's
versions — The latter's attitude towards Europeans —
Livingstone's meeting with Nsama — Meaning of the
name Tippoo Tib — March back to Urori and excur-
sion to Tabora — Faithlessness of the trusted agent at
Urori — Eeturn to Dar-es-Salaam — Eelations there —
"With Seyyid to Majid to Zanzibar - - 24 — 45

CHAPTEE IV

EXPEEIBNCES IN ZANZIBAE AND FBESH JOUENEY TO
CENTEAL AFEICA

Fresh plans of travel — Banyans and dealings with
Muhammedan Indians — Jealousy amongst them —
Preparations for travel — A part of the loads sent on
before — Careless handling of powder and consequent
punishment — In prison — Sir John Kirk — Journey to
Bagamoyo — March in advance of Muhammed bin
Masud — Farewells at Dar-es-Salaam and Zanzibar —

CONTENTS XV

PAGES

Start and junction with advance caravan at Ugogo —
Cholera — Hostile natives — Goods buried for want of
carriers — By Tura to Eubuga — Meeting with his
father — Entry into Tabora — His father's new home
— Quarrel with Mkasiva — Surprise of the Wangoni —
Defeat of the Tabora Arabs — Irresolution — Fruitless
expedition of Tippoo Tib — Alarm of the Tabora
people — Proceeds to Ugalla - - - 46 — 58

CHAPTER V

PROM UGALLA TO THE KINGDOM OP LUNDA

The Sultans Taka and Eijowe — The travellers are ex-
ploited — Tippoo Tib's visit to the Sultan and quarrel
on slender grounds — Taka's death and flight of his
people — Booty — Desertion of the Wanyamwezi —
Return of the Shensis and their defeat — Intervention
of the Tabora Arabs and peace — By Ukonongo to
Fipa — Further along Tanganyika to Itahua — ^Poison-
ing by manioc and remedies — Again with Nsama
— Elephant hunters — Detour to Ruemba — The
kingdom of Lunda and the Kasembes — ^Livingstone's
narratives — Inhospitable reception — Fight and
victory — Setting up of a new Sultan - - 59 — 70

CHAPTER VI

ENTRY INTO UBUA

Lake Mueru — The Congo — -March to Urua — Weakness of
the frontier population — Stalactite caves as a refuge
in war — Visit to the caves — Smoking out by Msire
— Poor business with Sultan Kajumbe— Invitations
from Mrongo Tambwe and Mrongo Kassanga —
Homage on the part of the Msire — Fight with
Kajumbe and withdrawal — Repeated invitation from
Mrongo Tambwe — Lake Kiasale : its importance to
the country round and fight for it — Hostile acts of
Mrongo Kassanga — His defeat and setting up of
Mrongo Tambwe as Sultan — No ivory^Dividing of
the caravan, Said bin Ali going to Katanga, Tippoo

xvi CONTENTS

PAHES

Tib to Iramba — Meeting with Juma Mericano on
Lake Usenge — Cameron's account of this Arab —
Fruitless attempt to induce his compatriot to accom-
pany him, and goes on alone - - - 71 — 79

CHAPTER VII

THE NEW SULTAiSI OP UTETEEA

Wealth of Irande — Viamba — Fire-arms unknown —
Political situation — Legal usages — Eeport of a
Shensi on Utetera and its Sultan's family — Mkahuja
— Wealth of ivory — Pange Bondo and his history —
Envoys from Utetera — Tippoo Tib claims relationship
with the Sultan — Attack by the Mkahuja people and
unexpected effect of the supposed ' muhogo-rammers '
— Pange Bondo is solemnly crowned Sultan, and
shows himself a cunning adviser — Arrival at Utetera
and kinsman -like reception — Kassongo Eushie's
vagaries — Tippoo Tib becomes Sultan — ^Disastrous
expedition to Ukasu and avenging raid — Cannibalism
— Incursion of the Sultan of Mkahuja and his sub-
jugation — Embassy of Lusuna and tidings of the
proximity of an Arab settlement — Meeting with
Arabs from Mjangwe - - - - 80 — 94

CHAPTER VIII

THE AEAB TOWNS OP NYANGWE AND KASSONGO

News from home — Death of Seyyid Majid and cyclone at
Zanzibar — Visit at Nyangwe — Important city — New
Bengal — Meeting with Cameron — Journey with him
to Lusuna — Lusuna's peculiar harem — Tippoo Tib's
camp — Ceremonial visit of Kassongo — Deliberations
as to Cameron's further route — Difficulties and junc-
tion with Portuguese traders — Their cruelties — Exit
Cameron westward— Tippoo Tib's departure from
Utetera — By Nyangwe to Kwa Kassongo — Reunion
with Bwana Nzige — Sad state of things there — War
with the Shensis and revival of trade and agriculture
— Communication with Tabora — Fruitless attempt of

CONTENTS xvii

PAGES

the Tabora Arabs to bring Tippoo Tib back— Arrival

of Said bin Ali and his sudden death - - 95-105

CHAPTEE IX

WITH STANLEY DOWN THE CONGO

Meeting with Stanley — His impression of Tippoo Tib —
He tries to secure him as a guide — Horrible stories
of Abed bin Juma — Contrast between Stanley and
Tippoo Tib and the latter's two different versions —
The march begins — Difficulties in the forest — Turns
aside to the Congo — Livingstone Eiver — Lady Alice
— Eloquence of Stanley — Attack of the Shensis —
Pretended friendship and treachery of the Shensis —
Further march down stream — Difficulties by land
and water — Requisitioning of boats — Engagement
near Vinya Nyaza — Stanley's parting with Tippoo
Tib — Discrepancy between their two accounts —
Tippoo Tib's influence on Stanley's men — Stanley's
presents— Christmas, 1876 - - - 106-127

CHAPTEE X

BY TABOEA BACK TO ZANZIBAE

Trading expedition on the lower Lomami — Cheap ivory —
Eeturn to Kassongo — Letters from Zanzibar —
Stanley's thanks — Slow march to Tanganyika — Story
of Lake Ujiji — Bad prospects for the further march
■ — Mirambo : his previous history and war with
Tabora in 1871 — Eumalisa — Departure and conflict
in Euanda — The young Sef — Hostilities in Uvinza —
Eeception at Tabora — Powder sent by Seyyid Burg-
hash — Mirambo's offers of peace — Back to Uvinza —
Meeting with Mirambo's caravan — Subjugation of
Kasanura — His father's death — Eeturn of Bwana
Nzige to Manyema — To Tabora again — Second meet-
ing with Mirambo's people — His invitation and Sef 's
visit — Intrigues of the Arabs — Wissmann — His
opinion of Mirambo, Sef, and Tippoo Tib — With
Wissmann to the coast - - - 128-155

xviii CONTENTS

CHAPTER XI

FEESH JOUENBY TO STANLEY PALLS

PAGES

Back at Zanzibar — Proposals of the Belgian traveller
— Consultations with the Sultan and the British
Consul- General — March back to Tabora — Friendship
of Mirambo — At Utetera again — Visit to Kassongo
Karombo — The renegade Juma Mericano — Eungu
Kabare's bogies — Stanley Falls — The founding of the
Congo State — The Congo Convention — Expedition to
the Aruwimi — The Sultan's letters - - 156-167

CHAPTER XII

BETUEN HOME

Through Uvinza to Tabora — Changes in East Africa —
Dr. Peter's acquisitions, credentials — Protest of the
Sultan — German squadron — Recognition of the
German acquisitions — Treaty of London — Farming
of the Customs — Western trade in Zanzibar — German
merchants at Tabora and their oppression by Arabs
and Sike — Meeting of Tippoo Tib with Dr. Junker
and his plan for travelling to the coast with him and
Giesecke — Murder of Giesecke — Losses of the ivory
firm — Arrival at Zanzibar— Gloomy frame of mind of
the Sultan ----- 168-181

CHAPTER XIII

THE FIGHTING BOUND STANLEY FALLS

Deane's story — His difficult position with the Arabs —
Dispute about an ill-used slave-girl — Appearance of
Le Stanley — Arrival of Lieutenant Dubois — Dis-
appointed expectations — Attack by the Arabs —
Desertion of the troops — Ammunition exhausted —
The station given up — Dubois's death — Deane's flight
— Helpless position and final rescue - - 182 — 190

CONTENTS xix

CHAPTEE XIV

THE EMIN PASHA EXPEDITION

PAGES

Emin's antecedents — -The Equatorial Province — Arabi's
revolt — Bombardment of Alexandria and capture
of Arabi — The Mahdi — Emin's isolation — His retreat
on Wadelai — Abandoned by the Egyptian Govern-
ment — Plans for his rescue — Stanley selected as
the leader of a relief expedition — Various plans for
carrying out — Stanley goes to Zanzibar — Agreement
with Tippoo Tib — By the Madura round the Cape to
the Congo — Tippoo Tib's impression of Cape Town —
Up the Congo — Difficulties of the march — Stanley's
European personnel — -Stanley goes to Jambuja, Tippoo
Tib to Stanley Ealls — Stanley's hasty start for the
Albert Nyanza — His instructions to the rearguard —
Tippoo Tib's importance to the expedition — Failure of
supplies of carriers — Barttelot's want of resource —
Start for Banalja and murder of Barttelot — Jameson
assumes command of the rearguard, tries to get
Tippoo Tib to accompany him, and dies before the
conclusion of the negotiations — Fate of the remaining
Europeans — Eeturn of Stanley to Banalja and second
march to Albert Nyanza — With Bmin to the East
Coast — Subsequent fate of Emin - - 191 — 211

CHAPTER XV

EETUEN TO ZANZIBAB — COLLAPSE OP THE ARAB POWEE ON
THE EAST COAST

Stanley's conference with Tippoo Tib — Flourishing trade
at Stanley Falls — Ivory tax — News of Burghash's
death — Retrospect of his reign — Embassy to do
homage to Khalifa — Stanley's complaints — Tippoo
Tib starts — Advice of his fellow - tribesmen —
Eumalisa's hostilities and their failure — Hoisting of
the Belgian flag at Mtoa — Summons before the
English court — Misuse of Emin's name and his
attitude — Arrival at Unyamyembe — Mirambo's

XX CONTENTS

PAGE

successor — The Arab rising and its suppression by
Wissmann — German -English agreement — The
Empire takes over East Africa as a colony — Hoisting
of the flag at Tabora — Tippoo Tib's meeting with
Baron von Biilow — Tippoo Tib's illness — Departure
■ — Stanley's slanders — Meeting with the Governor of
Soden — Return to Zanzibar and justification - 212 — 236

CHAPTEE XVI

COLLAPSE OF THE AEAB POWEB

Establishment of a station at Tabora — Subjugation of
Sike — Sigl's expedition to Tanganyika — The Belgians'
progress in the Congo State — Their peace with Ngongo
Luteta — Sef's raid against him — Tippoo Tib's view of
the beginning of the conflict — Sef's defeat on the
Lomami — Conquest of Nyangwe and Kassongo,
Stanley Falls, and Kirundu — Eumalisa's conflicts on
Tanganyika — Engagement on the Luama — Sef's
death — Brussels General Act — Tippoo Tib's lawsuits
with Rumalisa and Taria's heirs — Tippoo Tib as a
private individual - . . . 237-254

PouTEAiT OP Tippoo Tib - - - - Frontispiece

Map of Centeal Afeica to illustrate the Joceneys

OF Tippoo Tib - - - (at end)

TIPPOO TIB

CHAPTER I

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION : EAST AFRICA UP TO THE
REIGN OF SEYYID SAID (1806-1856)

' Marche toujours : un monde est Ik.' — Guillain.

When, about the middle of the last century, the
attention of a wider circle was directed to the
quarter which people were accustomed to call the
Dark Continent, probably very few of those who
heard of the astounding discoveries of European
travellers — of snowy mountains and vast lakes at
the Equator — realized that thousands of years ago
daring navigators had directed their course to that
very East Coast which in our day was to be the
starting-point of the assaiilt on the secrets of the new
region. No less an authority than the father of
history, Herodotus, informs us that even in primeval
times Phoenician fishermen circmnnavigated the
southern extremity of Africa. True, those accounts
are confused, and what they relate is not always to
be reconciled with the geographical knowledge of
our days ; yet as every echo is the reverberation of a
real voice, so there is no fable so foolish but some

1

2 TIPPOO TIB

grain of truth, is contained in it. And tlie mighty
ruins of Mashonaland, discovered a few decades
ago, and recently more thoroughly explored by
Carl Peters, do indeed teU in forcible language of
primeval civilization on the East Coast of Africa. We
may take it that the Phoenicians and Assyrians, those
pioneers of maritime commerce, sowed and reaped
here ; and even the mysterious land of Ophir, to
which, according to the Old Testament narrative,
King Hiram sent his ocean-going ships,* seems to
asstune palpable form. But over it aU floats the
veil of the fabulous, which the inquirer may here
and there softly lift, but which he can never quite
tear away from the stony coimtenance of the Sphinx,
that inexorable guardian of primeval secrets.

In all this chaos of legends and fables only this
fact remains established — that these regions were
known to the oldest seafaring peoples, just as these
knew the Indian Peninsula as long ago as two
thousand years before Christ. One of the oldest
historical documents we possess concerning the
geography of East Africa is the ' Periplus of the
Erythraean Sea,'! which appeared at the beginning
of our era, and is probably wrongly ascribed to
Arrian of JSTicodemia (who lived early in the 2nd cen-
tury), which tells of a great city called Raphta, whose
site can indeed be no longer determined, but which
in the opinion of most commentators must have

* 1 Kings ix., x.

t Compare also for what follows Guillain, ' Documents sur
I'Histoire, la G6ographie et la Commerce de 1' Afrique Orientale '
(Paris, 1856), vol. i., p. 81, and Strandes, ' Portugesienzeit in
Deutsch- und Englisch-Ostaforka ' (Berlin, 1899), p. 81 et seq.

EAELIEST ACCOUNTS 3

lain between the present coast towns of Mombasa
and Mozambique. A later proof of tbe connection
of East Africa with the Arabian Peninsula is fur-
nished by the fact that in the South Arabian
religioxis wars of the eighth centiiry negro slaves
formed a considerable portion of the armies en-
gaged.* Their number and power increased so
much that a hundred years later they were able to
enter on a conflict with their oppressors. In 869
a fierce servile war broke out, which, starting from
Basra, devastated South Irak and Kurdistan for
fourteen years, and threatened to overthrow the
Arab domination there. The leader of the rebels
was the Arab Ali bin Muhammed, nicknamed El
Khabith (the Monster). His hordes were called the
Zeng, a word equivalent to the Zingis of the Greeks,
which was used to designate the East Coast and its
inhabitants, and which still survives in the word
Zanzibar (Arabic Zengihar = Land of the Zeng).

While, then, we have such clear proof that
African natives were carried off in masses as slaves
to more northerly countries, on the other hand,
political conditions in these regions in the seventh
and following centuries were such as could not
fail to favour migration to the new regions. In
630 Muhammed had imposed his doctrines and
political influence on the city of Mecca, from which
he had had to flee eight years before ; two years
later all Arabia lay at his feet. Under his suc-
cessors — Abu Bekr, Omar, and Othman — Islam
began that brilliant career of victory which ended

* Miiller, ' Der Islam in Morgen- und Abendland,' Berlin,
1885, vol. i., p. 583 et seq.

1—2

4 TIPPOO TIB

with the subjugation of Southern Persia, Syria,
Egypt, and the whole of North Africa. The assas-
sination of Othman in the year 656 gave the first
blow'^- to the creed which had till then seemed
invincible, and sowed the first seed of a fratricidal
quarrel which has lasted ever since. Othman's
behaviour had shown him to be an unworthy suc-
cessor of the Prophet, and he fell by the dagger of
fanatics. Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the
Prophet, was legally chosen as his successor, but
was not recognised by Othman's adherents, who
accused him of complicity in the murder of Othman.
Moawija was hoisted on the shield by them. Several
sanguinary battles were followed in 657 by an
armistice, and it was decided to refer to a court of
arbitration the question who should be Khalif . But
not only was no agreement arrived at : the hoped-for
remedy itself proved a source of fresh discord.
The very acceptance of the armistice was a sin
against the Koran, which forbids making terms with
rebels against God's will, and enjoins war to the
knife against them. All who implicitly followed
the divine precepts separated from the adherents
of Ali, and under the name of Kharigites, or
Separatists, took up the struggle with those who
had rebelled against God's word. In the famous
Battle of Nahrawan (658) they were slain ahnost to
a man, but their belief did not perish with them.
In 661 a Kharigite murdered Ali, whose son gave
up his claims to Moawija, and he in turn became

* Sachau, ' Eeligioae Anschauungen der Ibaditischen Muha.
medaner,' in the Mitteilungen des Semmais fiir Orientalische
Spracheii, Berlin, 1898.

THE AEAB SETTLEMENT 5

the object of a desperate feud on the part of the
Kharigites, which was fatal to the latter. Yet,
despite these reverses, the sect survived, and
founded a new State in Oman, whose inhabitants
were later to be the lords of East Afi-ica ; and such,
with their old inflexible religion, they have in a
certain sense remained to the present day, greatly as
the last decades have undermined their domination.

It is in accordance with human nature that in-
ternal dissensions such as those described above
should favour migration to peaceful regions. That
such actually took place to the East Coast one or
two centuries later is established by an old Arab
chronicle, which feU into the hands of the Portu-
guese at the taking of Kilwa in 1505.

This chronicle lays no claim to accuracy, espe-
cially in its earlier parts. It sets forth that the first
Arab settlers in East Africa were followers of Said,
a son of Hussein, the great-grandson of the Prophet.
In it they are designated by the Arabic expression
' unmaet Said,' which has been corrupted by later
writers into ' Emosaides.' These Emosaides are
said to have founded no permanent towns, but
merely to have lived together for mutual protection.
It was not till a century later, apparently, that the
first Muhammedan towns were founded, and the
first step thus taken towards subjecting the littoral.
About A.D. 900, the chronicle relates, a band of
Arabs, driven out by the state of affairs at home,
fled from the town of El Hasa, on the Persian
Gulf, and in three ships, under the leadership of
nine brothers, reached the Somali coast, where they
founded the towns of Mogdishu and Brawa. A

6 TIPPOO TIB

further migration — a Persian one this time — •
followed, according to the chronicle, some seventy-
years later. It seems that Ali, a son of Sultan
Hassan, of Persia, left his home in Shiraz owing to
family dissensions. Attracted by stories of the gold
which abounded in Africa, he sailed from Ormuz
with two ships for the settlements mentioned ; but
as he could not get on with the Arabs, he went
further south, and founded the city of Kilwa, which
later attained to great prosperity. A second chronicle
of Kilwa that has come down to us also ascribes the
founding of the city to Ali, although it varies in
details from the version of the iirst chronicle.
According to the first of the two chronicles Ali's
son Muhammed subsequently founded Mombasa, a
statement confirmed by a still extant chronicle of
the latter city — at least, in so far that, according to
it, the oldest rulers of the city were sheikhs from
Shiraz.

The people to-day still preserve the memory of
an earlier Persian immigration ; and from many
details, into which this is not the place to enter, it
may be taken for certain that for a long time Shirazi
families, with a culture far in advance of the present
Arab civilization, ruled the East Coast, without
driving away by their presence the Arabs previously
settled there, who probably were always numerically
superior to them. A trace of such coexistence of
Arab and Shirazi domination continued in Zanzibar
until lately. The island had long been in posses-
sion of the Arabs, and when Said, Sultan of Maskat,
transferred his capital thither in 1832, could be
regarded as a wholly Arab country. Nevertheless,

THE CHEONICLES OF KILWA 7

there reigned side by side with this Sultan, scarcely
three hours' journey from his capital, perfectly
undisturbed, and without a sign of dependence,
under the designation of Mivinyi Mhuu (Great
Lord), a ruler of undoubted Shirazi descent, whom
the original inhabitants of the islands, the Waha-
dimu and Watambatu, regarded as their legitimate
sovereign. This extraordinary state of things did
not cease till the death, in 1856, of the last scion of
that family. His grave lies close before the palace
of the Arab Sultan (in the grounds of the German
club). How matters developed further on the East
Coast cannot be ascertained from the existing
chronicles. After the manner of all Arab records,
they give long-winded genealogical tables, which
have no interest for posterity, and from which the
student can gather but little as to the degree of
civihzation prevailing at various times. All that
need be dwelt on is that towards the end of the
twelfth century there appears to have been at
Kilwa a ruler of the name of Hassan, who, during a
reign of eighteen years, brought his city to a high
state of prosperity, and made it the mistress of trade
as far down as Sofala. He is said also to have
erected a large fortress and many stone buildings.

Mogdishu also must at that time have been an
important town, as may be gathered from two in-
scriptions, dated respectively 1238 and 1269, pre-
served there. This tallies with other accoimts,
according to which trade in India, as in the whole
Arabian Sea, was at that time particularly flourishing.
Even the Chinese, who had long carried on a brisk
traffic with India, came to East Africa soon after.

8 TIPPOO TIB

Marco Polo (1270-1293) informs us that the Emperor
of China sent a whole Chinese fleet on a voyage of
discovery to Madagascar, and from later Chinese
sources it appears that Chinese junks visited Mog-
dishu. The connection of this ancient civilized
nation with our coast is confirmed by the finding of
Chinese coins at Kilwa and Mogdishu. The coins
range from the sixth to the twelfth centuries of
our era.

A new epoch was inaugurated for East Africa
with the voyages of discovery of the Portuguese,
beginning with the circumnavigation of the southern
extremity of the continent by Bartholomeu Dias
(1487) and the voyage to India of Vasco da Gama
(1497-1502). From that time on these lands are
brought geographically nearer to us. In what stage
the Portuguese then found Semitic culture on the
East Coast, whether just at its acme or already
beginning to decline, can hardly be determined ;
at any rate, their narratives are full of wonder
at what they saw, which certainly must have
been very different from what they were accus-
tomed to see on the uncivilized West Coast. Along
the whole coast, from Sofala to India, an extensive
traffic was carried on, especially in gold and clothing
material of all kinds. The inhabitants were white
and black Moors (Arabs and Swahili) ; both races
were well clad and richly decked with gold and
jewels. Soon, by conquest or treachery, the whole
coast became a Portuguese possession. But as yet
only the coast is spoken of. There is no talk of
further penetration into the interior — nay, nothing
appears to be known of the country beyond

BEIBF PORTUGUESE OCCUPATION 9

the walls of the fortified coast settlements. They
content themselves with sucking the goodness out
of the coimtry from there. The Portuguese were far
worse colonists than the Arabs. Their rule bore
within it the seed of death, and two hxmdred years
later no trace of Portuguese conquest remained on
African soil. They left nothing distinctive behind
them in the country ; the towns which they found
prospering are in ruins, and only here and there a
stone inscription or a cannon buried in the sand of
the shore reminds us that centuries ago the long-
A^anished might of a European nation was displayed
here.

After the common enemy had been finally driven
away there arose, in the second half of the eighteenth
century, an internecine strife between the two Arab
races, which again brought serious calamity on the
country and ended in the final victory of the Busaid
dynasty, the rulers of that Oman already spoken of,
a small and wretched little country in the north-east
corner of Arabia. Under Sultan Said (1804-1856) a
new period of prosperity set in for East Africa. As
a lad of sixteen this talented and unscrupulous ruler
deposed his uncle, Kis bin Ahmed, from the throne
of Oman ; a few years later his last enemies in Mom-
basa had been overthrown by cunning or by force of
arms, and when at length, in 1832, he transferred
his capital to Zanzibar, a vast reahn extending from
the north-east extremity of Arabia right down the
east coast as far as Cape Delgado was ixnited under
his sceptre.

True, here again it is only the coasts of the East
African mainland on which a direct political influence

10 TIPPOO TIB

is exercised, but individual attempts to penetrate into
the interior and secure its treasures have already
begun. The gold of Sofala has fallen into oblivion,
but new objects of value have taken its place.
The cultivation of cloves, which had become familiar
in Mauritius, has been introduced in Zanzibar, and
in an astonishingly short time conquers that island
and Pemba, to which it still gives its stamp. Now,
for the working of the clove plantations labour is
needed, and this is furnished in ample measure by
the dark interior. Such of it as cannot be utilized
in the broad plantations is exported, as was the case
over a thousand years before, to the North, to Arabia
and the countries on the Persian Gulf, and brings
rich profits to the slave-hunters and middlemen, and
not less to the ruler of the country, who levies
a considerable poll-tax on every slave brought to
Zanzibar.

A further important article of commerce is ivory,
the thirst for which entices men further and further
into regions where the value of the precious tusk is
not yet known, and for a piece of bright-coloured stufE
any amount can be obtained in exchange from the
inexperienced natives, unless the trader prefers to
take it from them by force. Gradually, too, folks
find their way to the great lakes. On the route to
Tanganyika the town of Tabora has become an
entrepot, where a great number of Arabs and Indian
traders have taken up their abode, and are ruled by
the Vali, the Sultan's own representative, who ad-
ministers justice there in the name of his master
and is dependent on his commands. On the lake
itself flourishes the town of Ujiji, which again

TABOEA AND UJIJI 11

is subject to the Sultan. In short, a new life has
awoke ; trade reaches a high pitch of prosperity,
and whoever has the daring necessary to face a
journey into the interior, with its dangers, can, in
a short space of time, become a rich man.

CHAPTER II

THE FIRST JOURNEYS OF TIPPOO TIB

' What from thy fathers thou inherit'st
That earn and make indeed thine own.'

Goethe : Faust.

The coininenceineiit of the journeys undertaken by
daring slave- and ivory-hunters, which, led to the
ultimate founding of Tabora and Ujiji, dates back
to a far earlier period, of course, than the reign of
Said just described. The first adventurers must
have found what they sought — viz., slaves and ivory
— in the neighbourhood of the coast. After the
nearer districts had been depopulated or the sur-
vivors grown too strong for violence and too artful
in trading, they gradually advanced further and
further ; and he who was brave enough to push for-
ward into unknown tracts always found in the
boundless interior a new sphere to which no Arab
had penetrated before him, and which he, as the first
comer, could exploit. If the inhabitants were war-
like and he could not rely on his own strength — a
certain display of force was always an essential in
untried regions — the traveller could resort to the
way of diplomatic manoeuvring in peaceful trade and

12

THE INTEEIOE INVADED 13

wheedle out of the inexperienced savages the precious
ivory, whose value they did not know, at a cheap
rate, and could also barter a few pieces of coloured
cloth for a whole herd of slaves. If, on the contrary,
the natives were weak and victory seemed certain,
a shorter procedure was adopted. Peaceful hamlets
were surprised and plundered, and such of the
natives as could be captured were carried ofE
as slaves. In this fashion many an Arab who
went forth a poor man must have returned home
wealthy, and there by the tales he told or the
display of his wealth spread the news that in East
Africa, with a little audacity, a man might soon
become rich. The success of the first comers con-
stantly incited fresh adventurers to seek fortune in
these unknown regions.

It was this spirit of adventure that about the
middle of the last century led a member of a re-
spected Muscat family, Juma bin Muhammed el
Nebhani, to the gainful coast of East Africa. He
settled at Mbwa Maji, a small village to the south
of the present German capital of Dar-es-Salaam.
There he married a negress, who bore him three
children — a son named Muhanmied and two
daughters, the eldest called Mwana Arabu. Having
grown rich, he returned to his home at Muscat with
his son, who had meanwhile grown up, to end his
days there. His son, however, went back to East
Africa, this time in company with Rajab bin
Muhammed bin Said el Murgebi, the great-grand-
father of our hero. To him he gave in marriage
his sister Mwana Arabu, who had remained behind
at Mbwa Maji, and from this union sprang Juma

14 TIPPOO TIB

bin Rajab, an enterprising leader of caravans, who,
by daring raids to Tabora and Lake Tanganyika,
was already winning great influence.

Through him Mwura, grandfather of the after-
wards so much dreaded bandit Mirara.bo, became
Sultan of Ujoa, a small tract lying west of Uriakuru.
Later on he travelled together with his son
Muhammed, Tippoo Tib's father, who raised him-
self still further by an advantageoiis marriage.
Fundi Kira, the then powerful Sultan of Tabora,
gave him his daughter Karunde to wife. But as
the Muhammedan is allowed to have four wives —
the number of concubines whom he may choose as
well from among his slaves is unlimited, and depends
entirely on the means of the individual — he naarried
besides at Zanzibar the daughter of a respected and
prosperous Muscat family. Bint Habib bin Bushir,
of the clan of Wardi, who had previously been
married to her relative Masud bin Muhammed, but
had been divorced by him^ — a common occurrence
among Arabs.

From this new marriage sprang Hamed bin
Muhammed, surnamed Tippoo Tib. He first saw
the light at the shamba of Kwarara, in Zanzibar, be-
longing to a relative of his mother's. His bringing-
tip was, in accordance with Arab custom, the simplest
conceivable. At about six years of age he was
handed over to an ignorant tutor to learn reading
and writing by the help of the Koran. After the
attempt had failed in the case of the first teacher,
he was entrusted to a second, who, when the
iisual period of learning was at an end, dismissed
him as an ' educated man.' As he grew up he made

OEIGIN AND EAELY LIFE 16

timself as useM as he could on his mother's
property ; at sixteen he set out on his first journey.
Together with some relatives on his mother's side,
among them his half-brother Bushir bin Habib,
he travelled the opposite coast, trading in copal,
at first on a small scale, as suited his slender
credit.

At eighteen he was summoned by his father, who
usually lived at Tabora, but came now and again to
the coast, to undertake a great journey. At Ugangi,
north-east of Lake Nyassa, they traded in ivory and
slaves, selling their acquisitions later on at Zanzibar.
When the father returned to Tabora he took his son
with him. On the way the latter was attacked by
the small-pox, a disease which never quite dies out
in East Africa, and has left its cruel mark on many
a negro and Arab face. Thus the unhappy pretender
to the throne, Seyyid Khalid, son of the power-
ful Sultan Burghash, who lives at Dar-es-salaam, has
had his fine Oriental features woefully disfigured by
it. The disease, strange to say, has left no visible
traces on Tippoo Tib ; his beauty would have suf-
fered no loss even if it had, for, apart from the
negative advantage of having no pock-marks, Tippoo
Tib can certainly not claim to be an Adonis. His
face shows the thorough negro type, which is the
more remarkable as he comes of a good Arab family,
and his pedigree was only defaced by his grand-
mother on the father's side, who was a negress.
None the less, he may call himself an Arab, for folks
only ask about the origin of the father. The child
of the blackest slave-woman counts for as much as
the offspring of a princess if it is only born in

16 TIPPOO TIB

legitimate wedlock. And, in spite of its easy disso-
lution, every matrimonial alliance of a Muhammedan
with any of his female slaves is legitimate.

But to return to our chronological narrative. In
Unyanyembe, the country of Tippoo Tib's father,
a stay of only two months was made ; then the
party went on, accompanied by a goodly band of
Arabs, to Ujiji, on Lake Tanganyika. Here, how-
ever, they found the prices of ivory unfavourable,
so most of the Arabs determined to try their luck
on the west side of Tanganyika, in Urua. Old
Muhammed was recalled to Tabora by his duties as
ruler, so he commissioned his son to trade for him
in the new country, taking with him the objects of
barter that were current there — pearls and mussels.
But he was to travel under the supervision of an
experienced man of the coast. Here the independent
temper of the young merchant showed itseK for the
first time. Though hardly eighteen, he indignantly
rejected the suggestion that he should carry on his
business under the control of another. ' If you want
to trust your wares to this Swahili, and I am to be
under him, it is better I should go back with you.'
The old man put it to him that he was still young
and did not know trade in Urua ; gladly as he
would have entrusted the guidance of the caravan
to him, he (Tippoo Tib) must reaUy give way
this time. But Tippoo Tib remained obdurate,
declaring that he must try it for once ; if things
went wrong, in future his father might trust his
affairs to whom he pleased. He thus obtained his
father's permission, and set out on his journey. In
great canoes — the hollowed-out trunks of mighty

IVOEY 17

trees, such, as only tlie primeval forest produces —
they crossed Tanganyika in primitive fashion.

It V7as a numerous band which took the vsray
towards the little-knoAvn West : not less than twenty
Arabs were eager to open up fresh sources of profit
in the new country. They reached the abode of
Mwagu Tambu, a Sultan of friendly disposition.
The traffic in ivory was not exceptional, but it was
tolerable. Large tusks were dear, small ones com-
paratively cheap. While the other Arabs purchased
the dearer large tusks, Tippoo Tib decided to buy
the smaller specimens, and in doing so made a
lucky speculation, as was shown later on the coast.

As a rule large tusks, be it said, are more ex-
pensive, and of these, again, the soft ones, as being
easier to work, are from 20 to 30 per cent, dearer
than the hard ones.* Among the soft tusks the
following distinctions are made : Large tusks of
best quality and slightly cxirved, suitable for making
billiard-balls, have been quoted of late years at
from 114 to 145 dollars (£17 to £23) per frasila
(35 pounds). The next best kind, which is par-
ticularly suitable for piano keys, is called, because it
is principally exported to Europe, ' Bab Ulaia,' and
of late years has fetched from 105 to 130 dollars
(£15 to £20) per frasila. A third kind is exported
to India, and is therefore called ' Bab Cutch,' and is
used for the making of arm and leg rings. It fetches
from 95 to 113 doUars (£14 to £17). SmaU tusks,
which are obtained from the younger elephants, are

* Of. the Trade Reports for at home and abroad, sepa-
rately published by the German Ministry of the Interior,
Series III., No. 1, December, 1899.

18 TIPPOO TIB

relatively much cheaper, yet they may also, under
certain circumstances, reach high prices. As they
are often used as ornaments when mounted in silver,
the attractiveness of their shape and the fancy of
the purchaser are the chief factors in determining
their price. It is thus quite intelligible that Tippoo
Tib was lucky in his speculation in small tusks ; he
would have been even more successful with them
to-day, as in order to spare the breed of elephants,
both the German and the British Governments have
forbidden the shooting of young elephants.

After finishing their business they came on the
way back to Mtoa, on the western shore of Tangan-
yika. Here they heard of great changes that had
taken place meanwhile in their new home, Unyan-
yembe. Fundikira, the Sultan of Tabora, was dead,
and the Overlord of the country had set up his
nephew, Mnywa Sere (the ' Tem.bo-drinker '), as his
successor. This aggrieved another relative, Mkasiva,
who, being nearer to the throne, made preparations
to wrest from the other his usurped sovereignty.
Mnywa Sere did not wait to be attacked, but tried to
crush his opponent before he grew too strong. A
twenty days' conflict, however, resulted indecisively.
He then turned for help to old Muhanmaed, whom
he induced by rich presents of ivory to support him
with a great number of Arabs and their dependents.
Within a month Mkasiva was decisively routed, a
great portion of his followers killed, and others taken
prisoners, while he himself escaped with difl&culty
to Uriankuru.

This cheaply-earned victory went to the ' Tembo-
drinker's ' head, so that he began to oppress his

MNYWA SEEE 19

former helpers, primarily in the shape of ' hongo '
or toll, an institution to which the chiefs in the in-
terior, when they were strong enough, always resorted
to enrich themselves at the expense of passing
caravans. Where there was no help for it, people put
up with this, only the contribution had to be kept
within reasonable bounds. With Mnywa Sere this
was not the case : he made very large demands, and
the business was highly profitable, for the immigra-
tion of Arabs was about this time particularly great,
favoured by the political events in Zanzibar, which
drove a great number of them to leave their homes.
In 1856 Seyyid* Said, the powerful Sultan, had
died ; he was the last of his race to unite the
dominions in East Africa and Oman under one
sceptre. A great lover of women, he had owned a
splendid harem, from which had sprung some
twenty sons, beside numerous daughters. The eldest,
Thueni, took the reins in Oman ; in Zanzibar Majid
ascended the throne, much to the grief of his next
brother, afterwards Sultan Burghash, who would
have liked to become ruler himself. After various
smaller intrigues, he made in 1859 a determined
attempt to overthrow Seyyid Majid.

In the interior of the island, some four hours'
journey from the city, lies a country-seat, to which
Said, who was greatly under French influence,
had given the name of Marseille. Now that the

* ' Seyyid ' signifies ' lord,' and is the attribute of the Sultan-
and his belongings. ' Said,' with a guttural sound before the i,
is a proper name, and means ' lucky.' In Swahili pronunciation
the two words sound almost alike, and so they are mostly
wrongly reproduced by European writers.

2—2

20 TIPPOO TIB

importance of France in Zanzibar Jtas diminished
people have forgotten the foreign title, and gone
back to the old name Machui, which signifies some-
thing like ' in the wilderness.' Here Bnrghash
had assembled his forces, after an attempt in the city
had failed. Majid, who was too weak to contend
with Burghash alone, called to his aid the English,
who placed a detachment of sailors at his disposal.
An inglorious attack, in which the Sultan's troops
and the English contended for the lead- — the wrong
way about — failed indeed, yet so far alarmed Bur-
ghash that he stole away in the night and con-
cluded peace. He was exiled to Bombay, and his
adherents were likewise banished or imprisoned,
those that were well-to-do being further punished
with confiscations of property, an arrangement as
painful to the sufierer as gratifying to the inflicter.
Greatly injured in this way, and still not secure
against Majid's vengeance, many Arabs migrated,
to seek a new home in the interior, chiefly at
Tabora and on Tanganyika. Descendants of the
fugitives of that day are still numerous at Tabora.

To these haughty Arabs it was, of course, mon-
strous to endure the oppression of a ' Shensi ' —
a savage — and so the bitterness against Mnywa
Sere grew more and more ; yet no one dared under-
take anything against the favourite of oldMuhammed.
At length the tyrant himself made the measure run
over by daring to have Karunde's imcle and mother
murdered. If Muhammed had been a Western and
a reader of * Fliegende Blatter,' he might, perhaps,
have regarded the doing away with his mother-in-law
as a friendly action ; but, being an Oriental, he fell

PEEPAEATIONS FOR WAE 21

into a passion over this interference in his family
affairs, and planned revenge. He was at Ituru —
the settlement belonging to him in the immediate
neighbourhood of Tabora — when he learnt the news
of the outrage. The Arabs living there were only
too ready to follow him in arms. ' We have long
been inclined,' they declared, ' to strike the tyrant ; it
is only out of consideration for yoti that we have put
up with his oppressions.' Inmiediately the plan of
action was framed. It was proposed to band together
aU the Arabs resident in the district, to wait for the
coming of Tippoo Tib and his companions, which
was expected shortly, and in the meantime to send
secretly to Mkasiva, whom it was proposed to
draw out of concealment, and set up as the suc-
cessor of Mnywa Sere. This last mission was under-
taken by the Arab Salum bin Sef el Bahari. In
the remaining preparations the most prominent
was taken by Thenei bin Amur, a ' Besar ' — i.e.,
an Arab from Oman, only not of pure blood, but
the issue of the slave caste. These ' Besars ' as a
rule occupy a subordinate position socially as com-
pared with the full-blooded Arabs, the ' Kubails,'
whom they have to address as ' Hebabi,' or ' Lord ' ;
but often they are far superior to them in intelli-
gence, and attain to considerable wealth — an
advantage which, as money everywhere is in
good repute, in its turn helps to raise their im-
portance. Thenei was one of these honourable
exceptions to his class, and enjoyed great con-
sideration among the Arabs. His proposal that all
Arabs should assemble at one place, and thus stand
prepared for a possible sudden attack by Mnywa

22 TIPPOO TIB

Sere, was readily adopted, the more so as lie
closed his instructions with the pithy comment :
'He who does not hearken to me understands
nothing of the conduct of war ; let him hereafter,
if things go wrong, blame not me, but himself '
(from the Koran : Sura Ibrahim, xiv. 27).

The place of assembly appointed was the hamlet
of Kwihara, not far from Tabora, where within
twelve days some 300 to 400 Arabs with their
attendants were gathered. Tippoo Tib with his
men also arrived at this stage of the preparations,
and took up his quarters with Sultan bin Ali,
the chief of Kwihara. The latter had as yet no
idea of the plan of campaign, and may well have
been astonished to find such a number of guests
on his hands. With true Arab hospitality, however,
he set his best before them ; for, according to custom,
the host may not ask till the third day what brings
the stranger to him. But presimiably they initiated
him before that.

It all but went ill with them as they were feasting
at Kwihara, for Mnywa Sere had got wind of their
intentions, and endeavoured to frustrate them by
attacking first. There lived at Tabora an Indian
trader, Musa, surnamed the Handsome, who some
years before, following the migration westward, had
come to the country, in company with a compatriot
who had since died, to promote civilization by the
sale of brandy and other modern requirements.
One of his principal customers was Mnywa Sere,
who bartered the to him valueless ivory with the
ingenious middleman for the marvels of European
and Indian industry.

TEEACHERY OP THE INDIAN MUSA 23

At this time messengers from the Sultan had just
come on matters of business to the Indian. As his
interest required, the handsome Musa at once gave
these people the necessary hints. ' The Arabs are
planning something against your Sultan. They
have assembled at Kwihara, at Sultan bin Ali's, and
are only waiting for Mkasiva, whom they mean to
set up as the new Sultan.' In all haste the mes-
sengers conveyed the weighty news to their master,
who in his first eagerness formed the sensible
resolution to be the first in the field, and by an
immediate attack on the Arabs loitering at Kwihara
put a speedy end to the war ; but, with the usual
recklessness of the negro, in the end he allowed
himseK to be persuaded by his indolent followers to
wait till he was attacked. ' One could not tell as
yet whether the whole thing was not a fraud. And
even if it was true, he would by-and-by make child's
play of conquering the Arabs.' He had at that
time, Tippoo Tib declares, a large force. ' If he
had come it wotJd have been most dangerous for
us, and our food would probably have never tasted
sweet to us again.'

At length Mkasiva arrived. The war for which
such ample preparations had been made began. For
three months they ravaged, burned, and plundered ;
and then the power of the ' Tembo-drinker ' was
broken. He himself escaped, and Mkasiva became
Sultan. Soon after the war Tippoo Tib returned to
the coast.

CHAPTER III

JOURNEY TO ITAHUA

' He ever was a wicked wight ;
Him Heaven's vengeance smbte aright.'

P. Kind : Freischiitz.

At Zanzibar Tippoo Tib first carried out certain
conunissions of his father's : he sold his ivory and
sent him further articles of barter in the interior.
He himself did not for the present return to Un-
yanzembe, but began to travel on his own account.
As he naturally, as a young beginner, had but scanty
credit — he had to borrow money in sums of from
one to a thousand doUars— he contented himself for
the time with smaller imdertakings ; but as he suc-
ceeded in these he extended his expeditions further
into the interior, and at last undertook a longer
journey into the Tanganyika districts, which
brought him in much ivory and probably many
slaves as well. When he returned from this tour
to Zanzibar, twelve years had passed since his first
trip to Tabora. In that time he had become a rich
man.

Things had not gone so well with his young half-
brother and friend, Muhammed bin Masud el Wardi,
whom now for the first time he saw again in their

24

EXPEEIENCES OE TIPPOO TIB'S BEOTHER 25

home after a long separation. In the meantime
he had tried his luck in another way. He had
' traded,' as it is very discreetly styled in Tippoo
Tib's jottings, between Ngao, the southern coast
district of our colony, and the Benadir coast.
On my asking further the nature of this trading,
Tippoo Tib had to own with a smirk that his
brother had undertaken slave-hunts in the south,
and sold his booty in more northerly regions. He
had not grown rich from it, for his friend Muham-
med bin Said el Herthi, with whom he had been
iu partnership in the business, had recklessly
squandered all the takings, and left nothing over
for him. He therefore gladly joined his brother,
who was already beginning to be famous, when the
latter again started for the interior. To be sure,
he could contribute as yet only on a small scale, for
it was not possible for him to borrow more than
5,000 dollars.

Tippoo Tib, on the other hand, started with goods
to the value of 30,000 dollars, though he had to
search diligently for people who would give him
credit. He left twenty creditors behind oscillating
between fear and hope. It was no light matter, in
view of the tmcertain conditions, to stake much
money on a caravan for the interior. How many
of them never came back again ! Either the whole
was wiped out by savages or the leader died, and
all the property was made away with by his un-
skilful or faithless followers. In many cases, too,
the debtor preferred, instead of abiding by his
obligations in Zanzibar, to lead a showy life in the
interior with other people's money. Wissmann, in

26 TIPPOO TIB

his crossing of Africa in 1883, encountered sticIl a
worthy ■•^•' in Nyangwe. On the other hand, the
profit was all the greater when a debtor came
back richly laden from the interior. The Indians
keep a good tally ; they are not apt to forget any-
thing ; indeed, they are more likely to enter an item
twice over to make sure. And the Arab, to whom
book-keeping is an abomination — the acknowledg-
ment of a debt is the only document he ever keeps
— pays willingly, provided he has the means, in
order to keep up his credit. He will need the cash-
box of his Indian business friend for his next
expedition. Of those who enter into such specula-
tions, the Swahili say, ' Wanabahatisha sana ' ('They
tempt Fortuine ').

So the journey began, and not under very
favourable auspices. On the mainland there was
a famine. In order not to pass through quite im-
poverished districts, Tippoo Tib chose, instead of
the ordinary route by Usagara and Ugogo, the
more southerly one by Urori, which also, as being
little used, was the richer in ivory. But the
Wanyamwezi — the tribe that usually furnishes
the carriers (and very good ones)- — declined to
foUow him there. The negro is in the highest
degree conservative. What runs cotmter to das-
turi, or ancient custom, is distasteful to him. The
Wanyamwezi had been used in former journeys
always to pass through Usagara and then through
their native country, and now all of a sudden it

* Abed bin Salem. Cf. WiBsmann, ' Unter Deutscher Flagge
quer durch Afrika,' Berlin, 1889, pp. 181, 182.

WASAEAMO ENLISTED 27

was to be thTO^^g]l Urori, a quite imknown region.
They were not going to agree to that !

Then — a blessing in disguise — the famine came
to the resciie in the difficulty. The Wasaramo, a
tribe which usually would not condescend to porter's
work, found themselves compelled by hard times
to adopt that profitable means of livelihood. Two
hundred men were speedily enlisted, and they were
not dear. In addition to their keep, they got for
the whole journey, which would probably last whole
years, 10 dollars — i.e., at the present rate, about
30 marks. From a fourth to a third of this was
given to them beforehand. The journey began from
Mbwa Maji, the place already mentioned, on the
coast south of Dar-es-Salaam, at first in a southerly
direction towards Rufiji. They crossed the little
river Mbezi, and in three days reached Mkamba,
where a halt was called, that they might equip
themselves for a six days' journey through districts
devoid of food.

When the drum of the caravan sounded on the
day appointed for the start, an unpleasant surprise
was in store, which has brought many an African
traveller to despair. The porters, delighted with
their advance and in happy possession of provisions
for six days, had made off in a body. The ngoma
might resound as loudly as it would, not a carrier
appeared. The men who were sent to the various
quarters of the Wasaramo — of course, the whole
700 had not found shelter in one place, but had
housed themselves in the neighbouring villages,
sixty men to a village — returned, unsuccessful ; no
one came. ' Then my reason deserted me,' writes

28 TIPPOO TIB

Tippoo Tib himself. He seems, however, to have
been still capable of sound deliberation, for he at
once called out his men, and proceeded with eighty
guns back along the way he had come. They
marched till dark, then simply bivouacked on the
high-road, and the next morning reached the first
abodes of the Wasaramo.

The fugitives had, it is true, not yet arrived, but
what did that matter to the Arab sense of justice ?
The whole tribe had to pay for the misdeeds of its
sons. Quickly enough 200 people were seized and
put in irons. Resistance to the armed Swahilis was
not to be thought of. So they moved, plundering
and burning, from place to place, and within five
days 800 people had been taken captive. The
promptness with which Tippoo Tib had acted
earned him the title of 'Kingugwa chui ' — i.e., the
' Leopard,' who breaks in now here, now there.

On being seized, they were temporarily secured in
wooden yokes, such as every slave-hunter used, and
taken to Mkamba, where an Indian merchant,
Banyane Hila, lived. From him Tippoo Tib pro-
cured iron rods and had chains forged of them by
workmen whom he had taken with him expressly
for that purpose. In these he put the involuntary
carriers, and with them finally began his march.
To ensure that no one should escape, he himseK
brought up the rear ; at the head marched his
brother, Muhammed bin Masud, whose powerful
military following earned him among the Shensis
the name of 'Kumbakumba,' ' the Gatherer of Every-
thing.'

Thus they reached Urori, where the powerful

FAVOUEABLE TRADE RELATIONS 29

Sultan Merere was then reigning. He had formerly-
been friendly to the Arabs, but later, being incensed
at the wanton acts of travellers, changed his policy
and attacked various caravans of his former friends.
A certain Amran bin Masud, one of the Arabs who
had fled after the unsuccessful attempt of Burghash,
had avenged his compatriots on him, and so far
hTimbled him that he was willing to purchase peace
by a yearly payment of a hundred tusks. The
victor would not agree to this. Later the fortune of
war changed : Amran himself was defeated and lost
his life in the conflict.

When Tippoo Tib came there the country had
just been reopened to peaceful trafl&c, and the con-
ditions of trade were the most favourable conceiv-
able. For from twelve to fifteen garments a frasila
of ivory was to be had. It could be purchased
also for a frasila of spices or a chest of soap,
or for 15 pounds of powder. This happy state of
trade caiised Tippoo Tib to leave one of his men
behind in the country, to carry on business on his
account, to whom he entrusted goods to the value
of 6,000 dollars. He himself proceeded with the
bulk of the caravan to Ruemba, where he was
amicably received by the Sultan, but was unable to
make any profitable bargains. This was mostly the
case. Where the Arabs were wanted they were
well received, but there was nothing profitable to
be gained by them.

Then Tippoo Tib resolved to go to Itahua, a
country which then bore a very bad reputation. A
Sultan ruled there named Nsama, a powerful and
most bloodthirsty chief, of whom aU Arabs who had

30 TIPPOO TIB

liitherto entered his territory had had a bad ex-
perience. Tippoo Tib left his brother Muhammed
bin Masud behind at Rnemba with 15 guns, and
himself marched with 105 guns through Urunga to
the dreaded country. Everywhere on the way the
natives endeavoured to hold him back by tales of
Nsama's power and cruelty. Moreover, an old Arab
named Amer bin Said esh Shaqsi, who had spent
years in the country, frightened him with an
account of an expedition which he had made a con-
siderable time ago with other Arabs, but from
which very few had returned with whole skins.
But our wanderer was powerfully attracted to this
rich country, for all accounts agreed in affirming
that there were untold treasures of ivory there. So
he and his men crossed the stream which forms the
boundary between Urungu and Itahua.

Immediately on entering the country he acquired
an idea of its wealth. They marched through
luxuriant plantations from one populous township
to another, and the natives were immoderately
haughty towards the intruders. This was no
wonder, for only a short time before they had
given proof of their power. The robber tribe of
the Wangoni, a terror to all adjacent countries, had
endeavoured to surprise Nsama's powerful realm as
well, but had been driven off with bloody sconces.
Their defeat had contributed to heighten the repute
of Nsama's invincibility. The neighbouring tribes
had long been tributary to him, Ruemba and
Urungu — nay, even the nearer townships of the
great central African kingdom of Urua paid him
contributions. After six days' march the caravan

TIPPOO TIB'S OWN ACCOUNT 31

reached a mountain, at the foot of which was built
a great city, Nsama's capital. Like all East African
towns in old days, and many even now, it was
strongly fortified with palisades, thorn-hedges and
trenches.* Tippoo Tib pitched his camp outside
the city on a spot assigned to him by Nsama's
people. The next morning he with the other Arabs
was siunmoned before the Sultan. As to the recep-
tions and the events which followed it, we will
allow him to give his own account.

' We went and took him such and such gar-
ments as a present. He was then a very old man,
between eighty-six and ninety. He said to his
attendants : " Carry me, so that I may show them
the ivory." Then he was carried on their shoulders,
and showed us a very great stock of ivory in the
storehouses. Thereupon I said to him : " Sultan,
will you not give us two tusks ?" Then he suddenly
began to abuse me, and we could see that all the
goods we had given the feUow were a dead loss.
To the other Sultans we gave but few goods, and
they used to give us each two or three tusks, while
this man, to whom we had given a large present,
abused me.

' We took our leave and went to our camp. The
next morning he sent us a messenger to summon
us. We were to go into his city ; all Arabs were
sent for. People were to come with us, too, to
carry away the ivory. But he held his soldiers in
readiness in great numbers, and we knew nothing
of it. We went to the number of twenty, and took

* Gf. Wissmann, ' Afrika : Schilderungen und Eatschlage.'
Berlin, 1895. Pp. 19 et seq.

32 TIPPOO TIB

ten of our slaves with. us. When we got there I,
who was walking in front, was hit by three arrows —
two h.it me fairly, the other more slightly. A jo\mg
man named Said bin Sef el Maamri was also
wounded by a well-aimed arrow, and two slaves
were wounded by arrows, and died at once. But
we had our guns at the ready, loaded with bullets
and biggish shot, and they were standing in separate
groups. At a shot they fell like birds. When our
guns began to crackle 200 people feU at once ;
others were trampled down, and so died. They
hurriedly took to flight. Within an hour over
1,000 fell. On our side only the two slaves and
we two were wounded, and the town was really very
large. So they were routed and fled. They took
their Sultan with them. At last, by two o'clock,
there was not a soul left in the city, except blind
people and such as had had their noses or arms cut
off, for he was very cruel. If one of his people
committed any offence, he used to put out his eyes,
or cut off his nose or an arm. We took these to
our camp, and found our folks uninjured and in
good condition, goods and all. Thereupon we went
back to the city.

' Towards evening the enemy came in bands and
surrounded the city. Some said, " We will break
in in the night and slay them "; others, " We will
try to break in towards morning." They had come
in great masses, even the Sultan's sons, who lived at
some distance — all had come except those who lived
very far off. Biit I was wounded by the arrows
which had struck me. I called Bushir bin Hahib el
Wardi, my uncle, and said to him : " What do you

EEVENGB ON NSAMA 33

think about it ? Choose out the best men who are
not afraid." And he got together some fifty or
sixty of the best guns, and gave the men coarse
shot, and they loaded the guns with shot and bullets.
But the others, when they saw themselves so strong,
and found that we were only few men, took courage :
they lighted fires, and beat their dnun, and smoked
hemp and tobacco. Then I and Bushir bin
Habib gave orders, and said to them : " Ten guns
are to go to each door, for they will not see us
because of their fire. Then shoot, and when you
have fired ofl: your guns come back." And they
went, ten guns to the appointed door. When they
came near the guns crackled, and on every side
they fired off their charge at once, so that the
Shensis said : " Perhaps they have pulled down the
homa." Then the men came back. Suddenly we
heard the Shensis calling to each other, then they
lay down where they stood.

' The next morning, about a quarter to seven, our
men went out, and saw that about 600 Shensis had
fallen, and the weapons — spears, arrows, bows,
drums, and axes — which they had thrown away
were not to be counted. They had stood in groups,
you see. We waited a short time. When it was
two o'clock the Shensis advanced on us in great
crowds. However, they were already frightened.
We let them come close to the boma, then our
people charged ; and not seven minutes had passed
when they took to flight, and 150 men had fallen,
while we had been lucky — only two men fell. And
they were pursued a space of over two hours, then
our people came back. Finally, on the third day

3

34 TIPPOO TIB

even more of them came than on any of the
previous days, and they came quite close to the
boma. Our people charged, and routed the enemy,
over 250 of whom were killed, and they were pur-
sued a long distance. Not till seven hours after-
Avards did our men come back. On our side only
three men were killed and foixr wounded.

'After that day they did not come back again,
and there was no one there who claimed the ivory
in the town. And we were in fear, for the country
was large and the inliabitants many. And from
the capital it was a quick four days' march with
loads to Urungu, by the way we had come. And
we remained in the city, in great fear, until I had
recovered from those arrow woimds. When I
was well I called together my men, freeborn
and slaves, and said to them : " What do you
advise me to do?" But no one answered me.
Then I said to them : "I have determined to march
out and look for them, for for many days we have
not known where they lie."

' Then spake Bushir bin Habib el Wardi : " I
wiU go ; it is not good for you to march, for you
are not strong enough yet." And he left twenty
guns behind ; he set off with all the rest. Even the
people that had no guns — some 500 men — he took
with him. About seven o'clock they started, and
we waited till about five o'clock, when they had not
yet come back, nor had we heard anything of them.
And we were greatly afraid. At last, towards sun-
set, we heard the ngoma sound from beyond the
mountain, and they fired guns, and gave vent to a
shout of joy. Then they came themselves.'

RICH BOOTY 35

They brought rich booty with them, some
1,000 slaves, and an untold number of goats. To
be sure, a drop of gall was mingled with the rejoicing.
On the march towards the frontier they had seen
the corpses of many men of the coast that were
unknown to them. As it afterwards turned out, a
great caravan from Urungu had come into Nsama's
country to buy ivory by the same route by which
Tippoo Tib had marched. They came to the
country just when Nsama was defeated. Out of
revenge, the strangers, who no doubt were believed
to be in league with Tippoo Tib, were attacked and
cut down to the last man. The whole of their
merchandise fell a prey to the Shensis. Tippoo Tib
now waited a few days more. But as nothing further
was heard of the enemy, he was able to give him-
self up to the pleasant conviction that he remained
the final victor.

The first thing was to secure the booty. Of ivory
alone there appeared to be 1,950 frasilas, which,
taking the frasila at the then price of £7, gave a
profit of £13,650. At the present day, when a
frasila costs about £15, the ivory taken would
produce, in roimd numbers, £30,000 — a small
fortune. In addition to this, they took 700 frasilas
of copper and a quantity of salt.

With these spoils Tippoo Tib returned to Urungu.
He was greatly honoured by the Sultan there,
Chungu, for Chungu had long been an enemy of
Nsama, at whose tardy fall he was naturally de-
lighted. He at once offered to support the Arabs in
further warfare against Nsama. With his help a
deliberate war of extermination was carried on

3—2

36 TIPPOO TIB

against Itahua, wliicli, after two months, ended in
Nsama's entire overtlirow. He was granted peace
in return for the payment of a large tribute. In
these conflicts Tippoo Tib, who was still suffering
from the effects of his wounds, did not take part,
but remained at Urungu.

Here he also met the English missionary Living-
stone, to whose accounts we owe much concerning
these regions and the events of that time. Although
they are written in primitive fashion — the explorer,
who was devoid of all proper means, at times used
the edgings of newspaper sheets and ink from a
tree for his jottings — yet, however fragmentary they
may be, they are certainly accurate, and often more
reliable than the reports of Tippoo Tib, mostly
somewhat boastfully compiled. Moreover, the Arab
never makes a good historian. Whoever reads our
hero's autobiography will feel that he suffers from
the same prolixity as the chronicles cited at the
outset of the oldest African history. Livingstone
was then on his last journey, which he began in the
early part of 1866 from Zanzibar, and on which, in
April, 1873, he found his death in the village of
Itala. He had marched up the Rowuma to the
Nyassa, and had passed through the same districts
as Tippoo Tib. He made the, to us, interesting
discovery that the Arabs had only penetrated to
Urungu a very short time before. The older natives
could still very weU. remember the time when there
were no Muhammedans in the country, and as
yet the Moslem faith had not spread far.

On May 12, 1867, he heard that the Arabs had
come to blows with Nsama. Accounts varied as to

LIVINGSTONE'S VBESION OF THE QUAEREL 37

the reason of the quarrel, and it was difficult to get
to the bottom of the matter. The friendly Arabs
Said bin Ali bin Mansur and Thani bin Swelim
recounted that Nsama's people had gathered in
threatening fashion round the Arabs, who in their
alarm fired, whereupon Nsama fled and left the
assailants behind in the village. Others declared
that a dispute had arisen about an elephant's tusk.
Both accoiints can be reconciled with Tippoo Tib's
statement as to the origin of the quarrel. But
Livingstone's reports as to the issue of the conflict
differ. According to him, the Arabs were by no
means sure of success ; they daily practised sorceries
to discover how the further conflict with Nsama
would turn out. So, too, the accounts of the
booty obtained must have been exaggerated, for
Livingstone received the impression that Tippoo
Tib had lost greatly by the Nsama expedition. The
Arabs themselves confess to having lost fifty men
against him. Nsama seems to have lost only a few
more. According to his accounts, too, the Arabs
had only 20 guns at their disposal, while Tippoo Tib
speaks of 105. Certainly the Livingstonian version
would redound more to his credit, for the Enghsh
explorer characterizes Nsama as the Napoleon of
those regions.

On July 29 the two travellers met at Ponda, a
village three days' journey from Lake Mueru.
According to his journal, Tippoo Tib presented
Livingstone with a goat, a piece of white cotton,
four large bushels of beads, and a bag of sorghum,
and begged him to excuse his not being able to
give more. Livingstone also records that Tippoo

38 TIPPOO TIB

Tib had received two wounds in the fighting with
Nsama.

From Livingstone's very concise notes of the
meeting with Tippoo Tib we gather thus much — that
the latter met him in a very friendly spirit. The
Arab traveller's description of the rencontre is stiU
more in his favour. It appears that he found Living-
stone destitute of aU supplies. He describes him
as quite an old man, and adds that his name was
Livingstone, but that in the interior he called himself
David. As an Arab, of course, he did not know
the difference between Christian name and surname,
and therefore regarded the two words as different
names, just as he and his companions had their
nicknames in the interior. Livingstone thus seems,
like some other Europeans nowadays, to have been
obHged, for the sake of greater intimacy, to have
himself called simply by his Christian name by his
blacks. This may bring the European humanly
nearer to his inferiors, but in most cases undermines
his authority. The black wants to feel a master over
him ; he has no respect for a brother.

According to his descriptions, Tippoo Tib all but
saved Livingstone from destruction. He supplied
him for several days, conducted him to Lake Mneru,
and later on sent him with letters of recommenda-
tion to Rimda to his friend Muhammed bin Saleh,
an old Arab, who then took him in hand. Tippoo
Tib also declared that he received various chests
from Livingstone, together with a request to send
them to Ujiji for him ; these he at once forwarded
on an opportunity happening to present itself, and
that at his own expense. How far these statements

TIPPOO TIB'B ATTITUDE TO EUROPEANS 39

are founded on fact cannot be estimated. On the
one hand, the events lie so far back that a mistake
of Tippoo Tib's, who simply relates from memory,
is not impossible ; on the other hand, Tippoo Tib,
who always likes to play the grand seigneur, con-
stantly distinguished himself by chivaboxis hos-
pitality. Livingstone, for his part, cannot withhold
his approval from the Arabs in those parts ; he finds
them differing very advantageously from the slave-
hunters whom he was accustomed to encoimter in
Ngao.

In addition to this, Tippoo Tib always felt him-
self attracted to Europeans. At a very early date
he became convinced of the essential inferiority of
his fellow-tribesmen, and may have divined even
then that the Europeans were a superior breed, with
whom would rest the ultimate victory over those
who had hitherto been the rulers of the country. In
Zanzibar Europeans had long been settled, who
had traversed the broad seas and provided Muham-
medan countries with treasures of civilization
hitherto tmdreamt of by the Oriental. And that
political power was combined with this wealth was
proved by the warships of the Christians, which
from time to time appeared in African waters, and
had a whoUy different aspect from the vessels of
their Sultan, which seemed so powerful to the
Zanzibaris. And though the English missionary
whom the Arab traveller met here in the interior
presented such a modest and even wretched appear-
ance, yet the Oriental bowed before the spirit of
enterprise which drove forth the man of the West
to pursue with the simplest means ideals un-

40 TIPPOO TIB

known to him, yet assuredly not wortliless. What
at that time, perhaps, was half instinct became later
firm conviction in Tippoo Tib, and, like a born
diplomat, he always sided with the Europeans, even
against his own countrymen, as soon as it seemed
advantageous to him. His later history will furnish
several further instances of this.

It is thus not improbable that events may have
actually passed as Tippoo Tib relates them. That
Livingstone is silent about many occurrences proves
nothing in view of the nature of his accounts, which
are only quite short entries in a diarj^ made under
the most difiicult circumstances. On September 9
he had an interview with Nsama, whom he visited
in his new boma, built close beside the old. He
depicts him as an old man with a good head and
face. As he could no longer walk, his people had
to carry him. His belly was greatly swollen from
much drinking of pombe. He showed himself very
friendly towards Livingstone as soon as he had
assured himself of his peaceful intentions, and
jpromised to furnish him with guides for subsequent
journeys in his territory. The negotiations, how-
ever, led to no result, as they were constantly in-
terrupted by Nsama 's people, who bore themselves
very disrespectfully towards their ruler. Nsama
seems really to have been very much given to
alcohol, for a month later — October 18 — Livingstone
writes in his diary that the last he had heard of him
was that he, a man of eighty, was performing dances
to a musical accompaniment played by two women,
and so would appear to have fallen into his dotage.
In reality, however, it seems to have been only a

OEIGIN OF THE NAME TIPPOO TIB 41

question of a passing attack of drunken madness, for
the Arabs maintained friendly relations with him for
a long time afterwards. Only with his conqueror,
Tippoo Tib, Nsama would have nothing more
to do.

It must also be mentioned that it was in these
struggles that our hero received his well-known
name. He himself declares that the Shensis, unac-
customed to the firing of guns, called him so because
his muskets always went ' tip, tip.' Livingstone
writes, on the other hand, that the sheikh, at the
sight of Nsama's treasures, exclaimed : ' Now I am
Tippoo Tib, the gatherer of wealth.' If so, the
etymology of the word remains obscure, for neither
in Arabic nor in Swahili have the words the mean-
ing attached to them by Livingstone. It can only
be that a corresponding expression occurs in the
Itahua language. Another version is also prevalent
as to the origin of the name — viz., that Hamed
bin Muhammed was so called on account of his
nervous twitching of the eye, which must at once
strike the negro, who is particularly observant of
bodily defects. In view of the fondness of the
Swahihs for word-painting, this explanation seems
quite intelligible. The first version is, of course,
more agreeable to him.

Soon after the conclusion of peace Tippoo Tib
began his march back to the coast. He took his
way through Urungu to Mambwe, and from there
turned aside to Euemba to fetch his brother Mu-
hammed, whom he had left there. The inhabitants
of the countries he passed through everywhere
met him amicably. The news that he had beaten

42 TIPPOO TIB

Nsama, wlio was reputed invincible, had spread
with, lightning rapidity in all the adjacent districts,
and all exerted themselves to win the favour of the
victor. Carriers placed themselves readily at his
disposal to carry the captured treasures from place
to place. After the return from Ruemba the march
was at once continued to Unyamwanga, Ujika, and
Usafa, until at last they arrived again at Urori.

Until then the inhabitants of the districts traversed
had performed the duties of carriers, but now it
proved impossible to obtain the requisite number
of men for the further march to the coast. Tippoo
Tib therefore proceeded to Tabora to enlist carriers.
When he arrived there he found the to^wn deserted
by the Arabs. His father, whom he would have liked
to see again after years of separation, had gone on
business to Kabwirr ; his remaining compatriots had
gone to war. Relations between them and Sultan
Mkasiva were again strained.

Tippoo Tib dismounted at his stepmother Ka-
runde's, and was received by her with all honour.
The only Arab remaining in Tabora, Suud bin Said
el Maamri, brother of a rich merchant still living in
Zanzibar, urged him to take up his abode with him,
and only after a long competition between his two
entertainers for Tippoo Tib's coveted person, did the
latter decide in favour of the more interesting com-
pany of his compatriot. Two days later the Arabs
returned from their expedition. They had been
beaten and had lost their leader. They were conse-
quently in a very depressed state of mind. Tippoo
Tib quickly engaged the necessary carriers, and
after waiting two months longer to no purpose for

TEUSTBD AGENTS PEOVE FAITHLESS 43

his father to come back, returned to Urori. Here
a painful surprise awaited him. His confidential
agent from Mbwa Maji had ahnost entirely made
away with the merchandise entrusted to him to the
value of 6,000 dollars ; only two slave-girls were
forthcoming, who had evidently pleased him and,
as love is proverhiaUy blind, had been bought by
him at the unusual rate of 20 frasilas of ivory. To
the experienced business eye of Tippoo Tib this
seemed unheard-of, and he angrily chained up the
amorous youth. After four days he set him free
again, philosophically remarking to himself : ' He
who beats himself must not cry.' For that matter,
things had gone no better with his brother Muham-
med bin Masud. His trusted agent had also made
away with a considerable fortune, but managed to
escape responsibility by falling ill of the smaU-pox
and dying.

After the pang of this unexpected loss had been
got over the march to the coast began, the objective
this time being Dar-es-Salaam. According to the
custom still observed, the caravan spent the last
night in the immediate neighbourhood of the town,
so as to make its entry the next day quite fresh and
in good order. On the 22nd day of Ramadhan, the
sacred month of fasting of Islam, they had their
last bivouac. At Dar-es-Salaam they found great
changes.

Sultan Seyyid Majid, who with right judgment
had realized that the basis of his power lay on the
mainland which furnished him with his wealth, had
determined to transfer his seat of government to
Dar-es-Salaam, and already begun to build a palace

U TIPPOO TIB

worthy of himself there. Even before it was
finished, he spent yearly several months on the
mainland, and the great importance attached by him
to his plan is shown by the fact that he was staying
there even in the month when the Arab usually
retires into meditative seclusion, for he promised
himself a great future for his rule from the place.
True, he was unable to carry out his plans. A few
years later he died suddenly, and with him vanished
the interest in the further building up of the
sovereignty on the mainland. The palace, whose
erection he had so energetically begun, remained
incomplete, like many private houses in Zanzibar
started with insufficient means, and at last fell into
a heap of ruins, the remains of which can still be
traced near the hospital. If Majid had lived, and been
able to carry out his ambitious plans on the main-
land, those daring expeditions of Dr. Peters and his
companions to the Hinterland districts, which have
led to the acquisition of a German colony in East
Africa, would scarcely have been undertaken.

But for the time being things were lively at Dar-
es-Salaam. All who belonged to ' society ' had pro-
ceeded with the Sultan's Court to the new capital.
All the non-trading Consuls and a great number of
other Europeans, all the better-class Arabs from
Zanzibar, Pemba, Mombasa, and Lamu, as well as
a great body of Indians, had followed the Sovereign.
Among the latter were all the creditors of Tippoo
Tib, in whom the arrival of the caravan naturally
evoked great delight ; for on seeing the rich spoil in
ivory they felt certain of receiving back the money
they had advanced with high interest. But beside

WITH SBYYID MAJID TO ZANZIBAR 45

this tlie coming of the caravan excited the greatest
interest in all circles as being the first one bound for
the coast to reach the new capital. The Sultan him-
self showed interest in the daring voyager, whom he
loaded with high honours and entertained as his
guest until the ' Great Feast,' which concludes the
month of fasting (known in Turkey as the ' Festival
of Bairam ').

After the feast the whole Court returned to Zanzi-
bar in three ships, headed by the Sultan and his
notables and the foreign representatives on board a
French man-of-war, while the remaining Arabs and
the Indians followed in two smaller vessels.

CHAPTER IV

EXPERIENCES IN ZANZIBAR AND FRESH JOURNEY TO
CENTRAL AFRICA

' Per angusta ad augusta.'

At Zanzibar there set in for Tippoo Tib, after bis
long years of wandering, a period of refreshment,
which he could make as pleasant as he pleased now
that he had gi-own rich in money and honours. But
just as the European upon whom has once shone
the tropical sun of Afi'ica, like the moth that flies to
the candle, ever feels drawn again to the land of
palms, so the traveller who had grown used to life
in the wilderness coixld not long endure the leisured
repose of the city. After a few months he is again
revolving fresh plans of travel, which are supported
by the Sultan himself, who naturally would only be
too glad if the distant interior were opened up as far
as possible by Arabs. In the first place, it brought
to the country rich produce in ivory and slaves, and
then it increased the political influence of the Sultan
that as many as possible of his subjects should
achieve importance in the interior. He therefore
offered Tippoo Tib financial support as well, by
directing the banyans who depended on him to give
him credit up to any desired extent.

46

THE BANYANS • 47

' Banyan ' is a generic name, under which in
East Africa are classed all heathen Indians. They
are divided into a great number of castes, of which
the highest is that of the priests, or Brahmins.
The other higher castes, of which especially the
Batias and Wanyans are represented here, are aU
traders, and for the most part enjoy great pros-
perity, which it must be admitted they have not
always earned in an irreproachable way. They are
in part great usurers, and enrich themselves in that
capacity by advances on land at high interest.
But there are also very respectable banyans, who
have earned their wealth in an honourable manner.
For instance, the then head of the Batia com-
munity, Porsitom Tokarsi,--' was highly respected
among Europeans and natives. The Ivory King,
Ratu Bimji, at Zanzibar, is also reputed a trust-
worthy man of business.

Seyyid Majid had farmed the Customs to the then
head of these banyans, one Ladda Damji. This
man had grown most independent in his office and
acted quite arbitrarily, as the Sultan did not trouble
himself about internal affairs so long as he received
his rent regularly. The farmer was, like his pre-
decessor in the Gospel, a sinner. Among the Arabs
whom he had managed to make dependent on him
he was little loved. This Ladda, then — for so the
Sultan desired — was to advance Tippoo Tib the
money for a new journey. The latter did not like
this at all ; he would much rather have borrowed
of his former business friends, the Muhammedan
Indians, but he did not dare to go counter to the
* Since dead.

48 TIPPOO TIB

will of the ruler, and so he agreed, submitting for
the time with Oriental equanimity. After a time
the Lord might yet order everything according to his
desires.

So a year went hy, till Tippoo Tib was weary
of inaction, and forged serioiis plans of travel.
Heedless of his promise to Seyyid Majid, he turned
to those who had previously given him credit, Nur
Muhammed and Warsi Adwani, and declared to
them he wanted to travel again, but was tired
of borrowing, as before, of Tom and Harry. H they
wanted to remain in commercial association with
him, they must alone advance him the necessary
goods. They replied that they could not supply all he
wanted themselves, but that they would obtain what
was wanted from Taria Topan (then an all-powerful
Indian merchant, who later received an English
title, and was called Sir Taria). On no account was
he to have dealings with the banyan. But they
delayed from day to day, while Ladda kept
approaching Tippoo Tib with fresh offers of credit.
At last Tippoo Tib entered into negotiations with
him, and at once was assured of a credit of 50,000
dollars. Tippoo Tib proudly remarks on this : 'And
I had at that time not a plantation nor a house in
Zanzibar or anywhere else in the world ; but,' he
adds, ' I had a wife in Zanzibar, Bint Saturn bin
Abdallah el Barwanie, who had much property in
Zanzibar and Muscat.' The latter circumstance
certainly did not weigh with the banyan, for
he knew well enough that, in case things went
wrong with Tippoo Tib, she would not have come
forward with a pesa to cover his losses. He must

TIPPOO TIB THE BANYAN'S CREDITOE 49

have reckoned on Kismet and Tippoo Tib's star,
and have also secretly cherished the hope that if he
lost all his money, the Sultan, who had caused him
to give the credit, would not leave him in the
lurch.

So Tippoo Tib went to the hated banyan, and
received on the first day 6,000 dollars' worth of
goods. When the carriers were going with them
to his house, Warsi Adwani spied them out, and
with all the jealousy of a rival at once asked for
whom the things were. On their replying that they
belonged to Tippoo Tib, he rushed straight to
Taria Topan to carry him the melancholy news.
Taria was no less incensed, and called Tippoo Tib
to account, asking him how he could go to the
banyans when he (Taria) had placed his whole credit
at his disposal and commissioned Warsi Adwani
to tell him so ; he must just take the goods back
to the banyan as speedily as possible.

This proposal, however, was more easily made
than carried out. Ladda, of course, would not hear
of taking the things back again. At last Tippoo
Tib had recourse to the plan of putting forward his
relative Juma bin Sef bin Juma, who was to take
the goods already delivered and some more as weU.
Tippoo Tib, to be sure, had to be security for him
with Ladda. Hereupon Taria also hastened to
deliver his supplies. It was the first time that he
had lent on so insecure an enterprise as a caravan
journey into the interior — a proof of how much
confidence people placed in Tippoo Tib's spirit of
adventure.

Soon 200 loads were corded, which were sent

4

50 TIPPOO TIB

on before to Ituru, the place of residence of old
Muhammed. Tippoo Tib himself still remained in
the city, in order to procure the substance which
would ensure the success of his journey — the indis-
pensable gunpowder. This was before the Brussels
agreement, and gunpowder was to be got easily
and cheaply, 26 lbs. costing 4 dollars. He bought
in round numbers 5,000 dollars' worth, or over 300
hundredweight ! He unconcernedly stored it in his
house, which stood in the midst of the European
quarter, and left it there for ten days, until he
could ship it in dhows to Bagamoyo. But this
light-hearted carelessness was not to be without
its sequel.

A month had passed since the shipment, when
suddenly one evening two Arabs appeared at his
house to surmnon him next morning before Sleman
bin Ali, the Sultan's minister. With the cheerful-
ness of an easy conscience, our hero set off to see the
dignitary, who asked him with an official air if it
was he who had stored powder in the neighbour-
hood of the English Consulate. He calmly answered
' Yes '; which made the minister ask the further
question whether Tippoo Tib had gone mad. ' No,'
replied he ; 'I am in full possession of my senses.'
After this somewhat vague introduction the minister
proceeded to deliver a long harangue as to its being
quite illegal to bring powder into the city, and so
endanger the lives and limbs of the inhabitants.
Tippoo Tib assured him he had had no idea of it ;
he had been years in the interior, and as a free man
of course did not know the recent police regula-
tions, but it should not happen again. But the

IN PBISON 51

minister was not content with this bill drawn on
the future : ignorance of the law did not exempt
from punishment ; the offence had been committed
and called for retribiition, the more so that the
English Consul had heard of the matter, and was
very indignant about it ; he was to come again
next morning and hear the sentence that Seyyid
Majid might pass on him.

When Tippoo Tib appeared accordingly, he was
informed that Seyyid Majid had not known that he
was the transgressor, but that the matter had been
mooted by the English Consul-General, and now he
must either be locked up for a month or pay the
price of the powder bought as a fine. Tippoo Tib
declared in favour of the latter. He estimated the
value somewhat vaguely as more than 4,000 dollars,
but he would rather pay the money than be confined
even for a few days. Touched by such self-sacrifice,
the minister advised him to allow himself to be
locked up quietly for two or three days, and after-
wards the matter would settle itself.

So Tippoo Tib went to the prison, a solid fotir-
square building behind the toll-house, with a dirty
courtyard in the middle and a tower at each of the
corners, wrongly described as a Portuguese fort,
though in reality it was only built at the beginning
of last century by Seyyid Said. However, it was a
cheerful prison for Tippoo Tib. He was given a
decent room, in which he could do as he pleased.
During the day he received visitors, and at night his
wives kept him company.

The conditions have even now not changed
materially in this respect. A criminal who knows

4—2

52 TIPPOO TIB

how to get on well with his custodians can still
live pleasantly in Zanzibar Prison, if he does not
prefer to open the door of his dungeon with a golden
key.

When Tippoo Tib was set free on the third day,
he went to the English Consul-General, Sir John
Kirk, who asked him where he had been hidden so
long. He rejoined in dudgeon that he had been
locked up on account of the powder. This was
quite new to the Consul, who had indeed been angry
about the business, but had no idea that Tippoo Tib
was the culprit. Otherwise — so Tippoo Tib hints
— he would have winked at the incident, for he
valued him very much, since he had so chivalrously
espoused the cause of the Consul's friend Living-
stone, and had brought important letters from him
to the Consulate.

Some weeks later Tippoo Tib proceeded to Baga-
moyo to despatch further loads to the interior.
Even so goods to the amount of some 300 loads re-
mained behind, which he requested Muhammed bin
Masud to make ready for conveyance. He himself
wanted first to go once more to Dar-es-Salaam, to
take leave of Seyyid Majid, who had returned there.
As he also had to take leave of his business friends
in Zanzibar, he instructed Muhammed to march on
in the meantime, and expect him in a few days at
Kwere, a place not far from Bagamoyo. His stay
in Zanzibar, however, lasted longer than he antici-
pated, for he had to be present at a marriage there at
the house of Rashid Adwani : both Oriental polite-
ness and business considerations prevented his
declining the invitation. Thus he was detained

CHOLEEA 53

against his will seventeen days longer than he
intended.

The consequence was that he found not a soul at
Kwere. Muhammed had got tired of waiting,
though he caught him up a few days later at
Usagara, and from there they continued their
journey together. But they had not got far up
country towards Ugogo when a great disaster
befell the caravan. Cholera broke out, and every
day several carriers died. Moreover, the country
presented many difficulties, for Ugogo was a poor
district, in which provisions were scarcely to be had,
especially as the population displayed hostility and
nowhere offered anything for sale. ' Wherever we
went,' complains Tippoo Tib, ' we were driven back.'
They had, it is true, to some extent supplied them-
selves at Usagara, but the provision taken with them
was long since exhausted.

While in this unenviable plight they encountered
on the highway one day, at the western limit of
Ugogo, a body of armed warriors, who sought to
bar their further progress. As disease was pre-
valent on the coast, the Shensis did not want
to let the travellers pass through their townships,
but urged them to march through the forest, and
rejoin the caravan road again only at Mgunda
]\IkaK, a steppe devoid of food or water and seven
days' march in extent. The plan would have meant
certain destruction, without provisions as they were
and with the epidemic raging in the caravan. So
a council of war was called. Tippoo Tib requested
his brother Muhammed, as the elder, to make the
decision. But Muhammed bowed to Tippoo Tib's

54 TIPPOO TIB

greater insiglit, and left to him the decision, which
was in favour of forcing a passage. When this
was communicated to the soldiers they begged for
a short respite, so that they might report to their
Sultan Kiuje. Soon they came hack, and an-
nounced that free transit was granted them, but
they must encamp outside the first town on the
river, and strike camp again after two days. Pro-
visions would be brought into their camp. The
river by which they took ground, however, was no
river, at least for the time, for all the water was
dried up ; but by digging vigorously some springs
were discovered, from which a scanty supply of
water was obtained. Meanwhile the disease con-
tinued its ravages.

When the caravan, after the two days' rest,
reached the western frontier of Ugogo by a longish
march, it was already so thinned that there were
not enough carriers left. A great number of loads
were therefore buried — of course, only such goods as
a lengthy stay in the ground would not hurt : beads,
lead for the guns, chains, and so on. They then
made their way through the desolate wilderness,
by the Mgunda Mkali to Tura, where A^arious Arab
caravans were encountered which had started at the
same time from Bagamoyo, but had taken another
route.

These also had had dismal experiences. They
had dwindled by a third through disease, and had
in consequence of the loss of carriers also lost much
merchandise. An acquaintance from Tabora also
turned up here — the Arab Nasor bin Masud — who
had travelled to meet the much-damaged caravan

TIPPOO TIB MEETS HIS FATHER 55

of a business friend, in order to save as much of it
as possible, as it had lost its leader through the
epidemic.

At Rubuga, a further stage, Tippoo Tib found
his old father, who had marched to meet him, and
awaited him here with the caravan that had gone
on before. It was the first meeting between father
and son after long years. Since the war with
Mnywa Sere, at the close of which Tippoo Tib had
journeyed to Urua, they had not seen each other.
' At that time I was still a poor and xmknown man,
but many years have gone by since then,' says
Tippoo Tib in his biography, in proud recollection.
Together they entered Tabora, where our hero
naturally found many alterations.

A short time before his stepmother Karunde
had died, which caused the sorrowing widower,
Muhammed bin Juma, at once to look about him
for a new life-companion. There were enough
aspirants forthcoming for the hand of the powerful
chieftain, but he took into consideration only a
daughter of Mkasiva, and Nyaso, a younger daughter
of Fundi Kira. Mkasiva, who was very anxious to
bind old Mxihammed to him by the closest bands of
relationship, left nothing untried to capture him as
a son-in-law. But at last Nyaso gained the victory ;
and, writes Tippoo Tib, just as had been the case
with Karunde, so now again aU. the property, dead
or alive, in Tabora was Muhammed's. But he had
thus made an enemy of the ruler of the country —
Mkasiva — as was soon to be seen.

An elephant was killed by Muhammed's men
in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, whose

56 TIPPOO TIB

tusks attained the splendid weight of 5| frasilas.
Mkasiva, supported by the Vali Said bin Salum el
Lemii, maintained that the ivory was his, as the
elephant had been killed in his jurisdiction, and
demanded its surrender. Muhammed and his wife
Nyaso refused flatly, and now, after lengthy dis-
cussions, they were preparing to decide the point
at issue by a regular war, when a more serious
event suddenly reconciled the contending parties.

The Wangoni, a dreaded Wahehe tribe, threatened
to invade the country. They had been called in by
Mshama, a nephew of Mkasiva, who had himself
aimed at the throne, and being, therefore, perse-
cuted by his uncle, had fled to Uhehe, whence he
was now returning, breathing vengeance. The
enemy's hordes had already appeared in Njombo, a
district some three hours south of Tabora. A
force, hastily mustered from the people at Kwihara,
was sent against them without delay, under the
leadership of the Arab Abdallah bin Nasib, and
the more distant Arabs, amongst them Tippoo Tib,
received a summons to assemble at once at Kwihara.
From here they marched together after the advance
guard, Avhich they found in Njombo almost totally
destroyed. They had been beaten by the Wangoni,
and of the Swahilis alone had lost fifty, besides
more than 100 Uganda men, who had happened to
be at Kwihara and took part in the expedition.
They had been sent by Sultan Mtesa to bring
presents to Seyyid Majid, in return for the ample
presents he had himself sent from Zanzibar.

After their victory over the Arab troops, the
Wangoni, who probably cared less about the pre-

FEUITLESS PUESUIT 57

tensions of Msliama to the throne than about
making a profitable raid, had retired with large
herds of cattle. Tippoo Tib's proposal to follow
on their heels found no response amid the general
depression. All retreated hastily to Tabora. Here
Tippoo Tib once more unfolded his plans, and at
length, on the second day, carried his point — in
favour of inunediate pursuit. The avenging force
actually got as far as Msanga, in the immediate
neighbourhood of Njombo, when the heroes again
changed their minds and wheeled about towards
their homes and Penates. Only Tippoo Tib and
another Arab named Said bin Habib continued the
march. They advanced by Msuto, the western
frontier place of Unyanyembe, as far as the river
Njombo, which prevented any further pursuit.
They saw that the Wangoni had already too long
a start, and did not wish to expose themselves to
the danger of encoimtering the enemy in a strange
country, which, moreover, was divided from their
home by a body of water that was difficult to pass.
So they, too, returned to Tabora without having
accomplished anything.

Tippoo Tib wished not to stay there any longer,
but to go at once to Itahua, only the remaining
Arabs would not let him. He must first wait and
see that the Wangoni did not return to the attack.
Now that they had gained an easy victory they
would no doubt take a fancy to the business, and
soon appear on a fresh raid. ' The folks were simply
at that time not yet accustomed to war.'

Unwillingly Tippoo Tib gave way. When two
months of waiting had passed quietly away, he sent

58 TIPPOO TIB

forward the greater part of his caravan to Itahua,
and after another month a further instahnent — -all
but a small portion, which remained behind under
his own orders. Meanwhile, he had sent to Ugogo
to have the buried goods fetched. They were for-
tunately found almost complete, except that a small
portion of the beads had been lost in the sand.
When they arrived, Tippoo Tib got under way, in
spite of the persuasions of his fellow-tribesmen, who
would have liked to keep him with them for their
own safety, and made his first halt in Ugalla, a
district lying to the south-west.

CHAPTER V

FROM UGALLA TO THE KINGDOM OF LUNDA

' El ein bil ein wa '1 anf bil anf wa '1 udhn bil udhn wa 's
sin bis sin.'

An eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a
tooth for a tooth.

KoEAN : Suret el Maide, v. 45.

Ugalla was nominally ruled by a certain Taka as
Sultan, in reality, however, by his younger brother
Rijowe, who, according to Tippoo Tib's descriptions,
was a great tyrant and created all possible diffi-
culties for travellers. He lived in a large town
which was strongly fortified with ramparts and
ditches. He allowed the caravan to pitch its camp
outside the fortress at a distance of a quarter of an
hour. Tippoo Tib wanted to buy in his country
sufficient provisions for eight days, which he required
for his march to Ukonongo, but he did not obtain
permission to do so until he had paid five oxen and
a hundred garments. Thereupon he was allowed to
make his purchases and handed over to his men
their provisions in the shape of mtama (native corn),
which they at once began to pound, partly in the
camp, partly in the town itself. Unfortunately this
corn was destined to be an apple of discord.

59

60 TIPPOO TIB

On the morning of the second day Tippoo Tib
was summoned to an audience with the Sultan.
With a following of sixteen men, who as a precau-
tion had with them guns loaded with ball, he betook
himself to the town. On the way he met one of his
Swahilis, who told him furiously that a savage had
spilled all his corn and belaboured him with his
fists ; he was going now to fetch his gun and meant
to avenge himself on the ruffian. Tippoo Tib tried
to induce him by persuasion to refrain from such
disorderly methods, which would place them all in
a most awkward position ; it was a matter of im-
portance to him to preserve peace, and he would
gladly replace the spilled corn. Apparently satis-
fied, the young man withdrew, while Tippoo Tib
proceeded with his attendants to the Sultan's house.
The latter greeted the strangers and conducted them
to the dwelling of his principal wife, where they
were to wait outside a few minutes. Meantime the
injured Swahili came by, jtist as he had at first said,
armed with his musket. Tippoo Tib called him to
him and dealt him several fatherly boxes on the ear —
six or seven, so far as he remembers. But the chas-
tisement came too late. The Shensis had already
seen him and realized from the situation that he
meant to be revenged on them. They raised a
furious shout and charged in on Tippoo Tib and his
men. In the rain of spears and arrows a slave of
Tippoo Tib's fell.

Tippoo Tib turned to the Sultan and called on
him to control his subjects. But whether he felt
himself powerless in face of the excited mob or
was himseli a party to the breach of the peace, he

DEATH OF TAKA 61

simply took to flight, but did not get far, being
immediately brought down by a shot from the
Arabs, who were now on their part using their
weapons. At sight of their falling chieftain the
savages took to flight.

But the Arabs, who remained on the spot, did
not feel comfortable. The town was everywhere
strongly fortified, and the concealed enemy might be
lying in wait anywhere. They made in a body for
the nearest gate — of which there were six — and re-
turned to their camp outside the town. They found
it quite deserted. Even the two sentries had disap-
peared. But as they stood between fear and hope
at the main gate, which lay opposite their camp, a
troop of people came suddenly towards them from
within, headed by the red flag.-'' They had searched
the town through and scarcely found a living soul.
They brought with them only six women as prisoners
of war.

Then Tippoo Tib went back into the town to
recojxaoitre. It was quite deserted by the men, but
sixty more women were found and welcomed as good
booty. Also what merchandise and ivory they
found — it was not much — was thankfully accepted.
After Tippoo Tib had become master of the field of
battle he determined to camp inside the town, in
order to secure himself against a more than probable
attempt at revenge. He therefore summoned his
people living outside in the villages by sound of
drum, and in doing so again had the pleasant sur-
prise of finding that a great portion of his brave

■*= In Africa every large caravan still bears the flag of ita
nationality. That of Zanzibar is blood red.

62 TIPPOO TIB

fellows had vanistied. No less than sixty Wanyam-
wezi were not forthcoming. If they had been killed
their bodies would have been found ; so it was
quite clear that they had shown the white feather
at the beginning of the fight. It was not far to their
home at Tabora (five days' easy march without
loads).

Under these circumstances it was not possible at
once to continue the journey. Yet even if they
determined to remain it was not easy to know what
to do. Should they start in pursuit of the Shensis
or remain idly sitting till they returned with rein-
forcements to attack them ? Against the former
the prudent Said bin Ali gave his voice ; if the
fighting men went out in pursuit the loads would
still have to be left behind. Then how easily, when
the Arabs had marched out, could the Shensis
double back on the town another way and cut down
the camp followers there !

So they stayed, and had not to wait long before
the natives came back. On the eighth day, shortly
before sunrise, when the Arabs were just at their
first prayer, they heard the clamour of the advancing
hordes. These were driven back with a few well-
aimed volleys, and pursued for two hours. On the
side of the Shensis some seventy men had fallen ;
the Arabs had only four killed and six wounded.

After eight days more they again heard the noise
of an advancing host. The fear that it was a
renewal of the attack was, however, not well-
grounded. They were men from Tabora, who had
been sent by the Vali, at Seyyid Majid's instance, to
Uganda. They brought with them letters from the

INTEEVENTION AND PEACE 63

Vali and old Muhammed containing favourable
news. They liad heard through the fugitive Wan-
yamvp-ezi, vsrho had in fact fled hack to Tahora, of
the conflicts at Ugalla. Later on Sultan Rijowe had
sought refuge with them, in order to obtain peace
with Tippoo Tib by their intercession. Now the
Vali and Muhanuned wanted to come themselves to
set matters in the right channel. Four days later
they came, and were received outside the town by
Tippoo Tib. But they would not make their entry
until he had declared his readiness for the con-
clusion of peace. Tippoo Tib agreed and accepted
beforehand the conditions they might regard as
right. After their entry they came to an agreement
that Tippoo Tib should give back the women he
had taken, while the Shensis were only to pay com-
pensation for those who had fallen on the side of
the Arabs.

So peace was concluded. As the fugitive Wan-
yamwezi had come back with the Arabs from
Tabora, there was nothing more to hinder the
march. They moved by Ukonongo to Fipa, Sultan
Karagwe's country. Here they rejoined their
friends, who had gone on in advance, with Muhammed
bin Masud at their head. These had found the
country, which enjoyed great fertihty, so pleasant
that they had determined to await the rearguard
there. They had only sent on one of their number,
Juma bin Sef bin Juma, to Itahua. Tippoo Tib re-
mained in Fipa six days, to provision his caravan in
this fertile region for the impending march through
more barren tracts ; then they set ofE together — a
column 4,000 strong. The way led along the shores

64 TIPPOO TIB

of Lake Tanganyika, and presented many difficul-
ties. The country there is very mountainous, and
so they went up hill and down dale till at last they
reached Urungu — an impoverished district, which
they soon left again, as provisions were not to be
had.

At last they reached the district of Itahua, and
came to a town where Mkura, a son of Nsama,
ruled. Here there was again great plenty, espe-
cially an astonishing crop of manioc, with which
the famished carriers greedily repaid themselves for
the privations of the past weeks. Some days later
the whole band sickened with violent dysentery,
to which forty men fell victims. Fortunately the
Arab Juma bin Sef, who was trading in Itahua,
appeared soon after with a remedy for the disease.
He had a pungent curry sauce, stirred up with
pepper and muscat, which he gave the men to eat
with lean goat's flesh. This was given the patients
for several days, and the homely remedy really had
its effect. The dysentery gradually ceased, though
the men were much exhausted for a long time after.
The disease was not, however, as Juma taught
them, caused solely by their voracity, but the manioc
was of a different kind from what they had hitherto
been accustomed. It was extraordinarily bitter,
and only innocuous when it had been steeped
for a considerable time in water, then allowed to
dry for several days, and finally cooked. This
Tippoo Tib's men, of course, did not know, and
even if they had knoT\Ti it they would probably not
have observed the precaution, for in the eight days
which they would have needed to make the manioc

AGAIN WITH NSAMA 65

fit for use they would very likely have starved.
They had not even taken the trouble to cook it,
but consumed it raw, just as it came out of the
ground.

When the caravan had recovered, they proceeded
further to seek out their old acquaintance Nsama.
To all the Arabs he gave a friendly reception, only he
refused to see Tippoo Tib. He sent, however, forty
elephant's tusks, of a weight of 65 frasilas, as a
present to his guest, but added that that was all
the ivory he had. The assurance sounded scarcely
credible, for shortly before he had sold to Juma bin
Sef 300 frasilas, besides which the country swarmed
with elephants. Tippoo Tib's men employed them-
selves busily in hunting. In particular, there were
three of his slaves who distinguished themselves in
woodcraft. He had bought them long before, almost
against his will, from a bankrupt named Shihiri,
who wanted money and offered him four men, the
lot for 100 dollars (about 300 marks). One of them
had escaped in Ugogo ; the remainder now brought
in their purchase-money, with interest. It was no
rare occurrence for them to secure twenty tusks
in one morning. There were also buffaloes in
abundance, which were hunted for the sake of their
meat.

As Tippoo Tib could not hope for much from
a further stay near his old enemy, he left his
hunters behind and went on to Ruemba, where
Sultans Mwamba, Kitimkaro, and Shanza ruled.
For but a small amount of goods he obtained a
great deal of ivory, wherefore he bears witness
that they were good people. He returned once

5

66 TIPPOO TIB

more with his treasures to Itahua, where he now
concocted a fresh plan. Muhammed bin Masud
was to remain with the bulk of the merchandise in
the country, while Tippoo Tib purposed, taking all
the beads that the two had with them, to proceed
westwards to Urua, where beads were fetching high
prices.

Their way led them through the once powerful
and still very important Kasembe kingdom of
Lunda, which at the end of the eighteenth century
had been visited by Portuguese discoverers, and
in 1866 and 1867 was systematically explored by
Livingstone. It is a fertile plateau to the west of
Lake Mueru, bounded on the north by Itahua and
Kabwire, on the south and east by Lombemba and
Kisinga. The country was governed by elected
rulers called Kasembe, a word that, according to
Livingstone, signifies 'general.' The Kasembes
seem to have changed very often, as they were
deposed as soon as they became unpopular. The
ruler whom Livingstone found there in 1867 was
called Maonga, and was the seventh Kasembe ; but
his predecessor, Lekwisa, was still alive, and in
exile with Nsama. Livingstone visited Maonga on
November 28, 1867, in his capital at the north end
of Mofwe — a lake abounding in fish, formed by the
Luapula above the larger and better known Mueru.
Each Kasembe used to found a separate town as his
place of residence. The capital of the then reigning
Kasembe covered an area of an English square mile,
on which some hundreds of huts lay scattered
among cassava plantations. The court of the ruler
— many would have called it a palace — formed a

THE KASBMBE 67

qiiadrangle 300 ells in length and 200 in breadtli,
and was surrounded by a liigh bamboo hedge.
Men's skulls were displayed here and there as a
decoration. A great portion of the people had
cropped ears and lopped-off arms — mutilations which
were not inflicted on the subjects for aesthetic
reasons, as in the case of fox-terriers with us, btit
only to furnish them with a hfe-long reminder that
their ruler had once been obliged to give expression
to his disapproval of their conduct.

The first impression was not by any means re-
assuring to the visitor, but he was soon compensated
for the feeling of horror which came over him on
entering by the amusing spectacle which presented
itself as he went further. Before his hut, on a
couch of lion and leopard skins, sat a figure with a
squinting face, wrapped in a coarse garment of
white and blue striped material, with a red border
bunched out voluminously, so that he looked as if he
had put on a crinoline the wrong way about. The
arms, feet, and head were clad in sleeves, trousers,
and cap, with a beautiful pattern of coloured beads,
while this strange fashion-block was crowned with
an aigrette of yellow feathers. The grandees of
the kingdom, shaded by huge patched umbrellas,
approached their master respectfully, bowing cere-
moniously before him, and then took their places
on his right. Livingstone was presented by a
minister with cropped ears to the Kasembe, who,
after being briefly informed as well as might be of
the pTirpose and aim of the explorer's journey, was
pleased to accept his presents. As they partly
consisted of grotesque garments, he was highly

5—2

68 TIPPOO TIB

delighted, whicli did not hinder him from requiting
them with nothing but a lean goat and a few fish.
At a subsequent audience he was openly mocked
for his meanness by the Arab Muhammed bin Saleh,
who had lived ten years in the country.

Livingstone has no high opinion of the power of
the Kasembe of his day. He thinks if he had to
summon the array for war, he would scarcely be
able to get together 1,000 vagabonds, whereas the
first Portuguese visitor, Pereira, records that the
Kasembe he found there had a standing army of
20,000 trained warriors. Livingstone has the im-
pression that he could have established friendly
relations with Maonga, whom he lectured on the
iniquity of the slave trade, only the sight of his
squinting eyes and the many mutilated people always
deterred him.

When Tippoo Tib came into the countiy some
years had passed since then, and another Kasembe
was already on the throne. The entry into Lunda
did not take the form of a welcome to him. Amid
heavy rainstorms, which allowed the great caravan
to progress but slowly, they reached the frontier of
Itahua. On the way they had received the con-
soling intelligence that Nsama, after Tippoo Tib's
departure, had exhibited great stores of ivory, which
he had been unwilling to show his conqueror, but
which the Arabs now could purchase at their ease.
The boundary between Itahua and Lunda was
formed by a river, which, owing to the rainy season,
was greatly swollen. The caravan had to march a
great distance upstream before it could ford it.
As the leading files reached the land they were

KASEMBB'S MEN DEFIANT . 69

attacked by tlie Walimda, who struck down four
men and took a quantity of mercliandise and
muskets. As the Kasembe was at enmity with
Nsama and had no reason for treating Tippoo Tib,
who was well enough known as an opponent of
Nsama's, in an unfriendly way, this reception was
most startling, and our traveller resolved, before
retaliating, to inquire into the causes of this im-
expected hostility. He was haughtily answered
that the Walunda had attacked the Arabs' followers
quite deliberately, for they had boasted that they
had defeated Nsama, and now they, Kasembe's men,
would show them they were something different,
and had determined to strike down every intruder
into their country. This impudent reply demanded
immediate retribution. Even Said bin Ali el
Hinawi was of this opinion — a mutawa,^ a pious and
forgiving man who had once stood in high honour
in Zanzibar, but later, as an adherent of Burghash,
fell into disfavour with Seyyid Majid, and when the
latter so far himiihated him as to give him a box on
the ears, retired in dudgeon and Avent on his travels.
In spite of all, he had retained his pious disposition,
and was always ready to give good advice when it
was possible ; but now even he adArised fighting.
More troops were sent for in haste from Itahua ; the
river forming the frontier was crossed, and in a few

* Literally, ' a very obedient.' The people are so called
■who devote themselves to a specially religious way of life.
They wear as a badge the white turban, which many certainly
assume without being entitled to do so ; e.g:, the well-known
Wali Sleman bin Nasor always wears it, though, in view of
his unprejudiced attitude towards the prohibition of wine-
drinking, he has no claim to the distinction.

70 TIPPOO TIB

months all Lunda was subjugated. The Kasembe
— Tippoo Tib did not remember his name — was
driven from the country, and a new chief named
Mabote set up in his place. This man had been
Kasembe once before, but had been deposed by his
people because he refused to submit to circumcision,
which was not otherwise customary in the country,
but was expected of its rulers.

CHAPTER VI

ENTRY INTO UEUA

' Duobus certantibus gaudet tertius.'

After thus subduing the mighty kingdom of
Lunda, they proceeded next in a northerly direc-
tion along Lake Mueru, until they reached the
capital of Sultan Mpueto. Here the Congo issues
from the lake under the name of Luapula. The
river there is of course narrow, and was easily
crossed in boats. On the left bank lay Urua, the
objective of the travellers. At first not much was
to be discovered of the much-boasted power of the
country. The natives were weak in bodily structure,
frequently disfigured by goitres, and immoderately
addicted to the enjoyment of tobacco and hemp, a
passion which procured them from their western
neighbours, to whom smoking seemed contemptible,
the nickname Wahemba : watumwa vuaka — i.e.,
slaves of tobacco. As their country adjoined
those of the marauding Nsama and Kasembe, they
were, of course, exposed to constant unexpected
attacks, aAd were thus rendered specially timid and
suspicious. Moreover, the natural conformation of
their territory tended to impose the defensive on
them. The country was rich in caves, which ran far

71

72 TIPPOO TIB

into the mountains and offered ample shelter to
several hundred men. As they were stalactite
formations, there was no want of water inside them.
Provisions could be taken into them to any amount
desired, and, when the times were warlike, were
stored up there beforehand. Tippoo Tib recounts
his visit to such a cave, which had two entrances
and at the largest point was some 12 feet wide.
He went in with candles, but contented himself
with examining the cavern. His uncle, Bushir bin
Habib, had more pluck, and came out at the other
end of the mountain, after a long progress through
dark passages.

In case of war these caves, of course, afforded an
excellent refuge. On the enemy's approach all the
townships were deserted, and the inhabitants
vanished from the soil. Later on Msire, Sultan of
Katanga, which lay to the south-west, fathomed the
secret, and, as later conquerors have dealt with
similar troglodytes, smoked them out like a fox from
his earth. He placed burning wood before one
opening and let the smoke penetrate, until the cave-
dwellers came out on the other side and submitted.

On pursuing his march, Tippoo Tib came upon
a Sultan named Kajumbe. His subjects were
stronger men than the Warua of the frontier, and
he himself, who, on account of his imperiousness,
bore the surname Kha Ukuma, the Swashbuckler,
wielded considerable power, which he made the
newcomers feel. For all the ivory which they pur-
chased they had to pay a high duty, which was here
called hiremba. At the same time, the yield of ivory
of the country was slight and the natives hard to

HOMAGE OF MSIEB 73

deal with. A bargain over a single tusk often lasted
for several days.

Thus the news came most opportimely that in
rather more distant regions far more favourahle condi-
tions of trade prevailed. Two Sultans, named Mrongo
Tambwe and Mrongo Kassanga, sent messengers to
Tippoo Tib, who brought him several tusks as a
present and said that in their country there was
plenty of ivory ; if that was what Tippoo Tib
wanted he had only to come to them. But they
dared not bring it for exchange into Kajumbe's
territory, for, warned by previous experiences, they
feared that most of it would be stolen from them.

Even Msire, the great Sultan of Katanga, sent an
embassy of homage with twelve elephant's tusks.
He had heard that Tippoo Tib had passed triumph-
antly through Nsama's and Kasembe's country, and
was now afraid lest the mighty conqueror should
make war against him too. Our traveller, who to
be sure had as yet entertained no such thought, at
once took advantage of this favourable frame of
mind and sent an answer that such was certainly
his intention. ' It is true, I have heard that he is a
very bad man and attacks people without cause. If
necessary, I will come and chastise him — unless he
sends twenty more tusks beside these.'

Much alarmed by these haughty words, Msire's
people departed, taking with them, if possible, a
still higher opinion of the intruder than they had
before.

To get away, to be sure, was not such a simple
matter. Kasembe, in fact, cherished the opinion
that travellers who came into his country were bound

74 TIPPOO TIB

to dispose of all their goods there. How long they
took about it did not matter to him if they only paid
plenty of duty. Tippoo Tib, however, did not feel
disposed, with his rich supplies of beads, to wait
there whole decades for ivory that might or might
not come, and as peaceful negotiations were of no
avail, he made his exit by force. After an hour's
fighting the Warua took to flight, and the next
morning Kajumbe sued for peace, which was granted
him in return for nine elephant's tusks.

Three days later they came upon a Sultan named
Mseka, in whose village a two days' halt was made.
During this sojourn envoys came once more from
Mrongo Tambwe, who sent presents of ivory and
again invited the travellers to visit his country.
Tippoo Tib replied it did not matter to him where
he went if there was only ivory, and followed his
emissaries.

After two days' march the guides halted at some
cross-roads and announced that from there there
were two ways : the one led through uninhabited,
waterless jungle, but had the advantage of seciirity ;
if they took the more convenient path through in-
habited places, they would have to be constantly
fighting. The position was as follows : the country
for which they were making stretched along Lake
Eassale, a broad, swamp-like continuation of the
Lualaba. This lake was the very life of the country.
It was abundantly rich in fish, and yielded its
inhabitants, without difiiculty, ample sustenance.
There were also endless swarm.s of wild ducks,
which it was not difficult to bring down. Nay, this
beneficent lake was made subservient even to

LAKE KISSALE 76

elephant-hunting. The forests were beaten and
the mighty pachyderms driven towards the water.
There they lost themselves in the muddy, reed-
grown banks, and the natives, hastening to the spot
in boats, kiUed them with spears without diflEculty.

No wonder, then, that rich settlements with a
brisk traffic sprang up round this lake. People
came from far and wide to barter for its products.
In exchange for the fish, which, when dried, were
exported long distances, they brought the produce
of their own districts. The chief articles of barter
were the so-called viramba, stuffs woven out of the
bark of trees, such as are still often seen in East
Africa, imported from Madagascar. These stuffs
were then worn throughout Manyemaland, and had
such a universally acknowledged value that they
were regarded as a substitute for money. Another
important article was a kind of tree-oil.

In this favoured country, once peacefully united
under one sceptre, two near relatives had for many
years been striving for the mastery, Mrougo Tambwe
and Mrongo Kassanga. First one was victorious,
then the other. The victor always took up his resi-
dence on the lake, while the conquered fled into the
jungle until he was once more strong enough to
attack and overcome his rival. The part of the
conquered was being played just at that time by
Tambwe, which was why he had been in such a
hurry to secure the friendship of the newcomer.

To Tippoo Tib it was of course a most welcome
state of things that he could intervene in the in-
ternal affairs of the country with a certain show of
right, and it was especially to his advantage that,

76 TIPPOO TIB

since the two rivals were about equally strong,
lie must, by interposing witb bis seasoned troops,
splendidly armed as compared with the savages,
infallibly decide the matter. He therefore had not
the shghtest intention of acting on the proposal of
the Warua guides, and stealing by the forest route
to Tambwe. But as the Warua did not dare to
follow him on the way through the towns, he took
only two of them with him as guides, but dressed
them up, for the sake of their peace of mind, in
Swahili clothes, so that they might not be recognised
by their enemies.

They at once entered fertile, richly populated
districts, in which one township succeeded another.
They pitched their camp in a town five hours'
march from the lake. Mrongo Kassanga, who was
himseK sojourning on the lake, sent envoys to them,
asking them to pay him a visit the next day. The
answer was they Avere on the way to Mrongo
Tambwe, and had nothing to do with him. ' Yes,'
answered Kassanga's men, ' he was somewhere in
the wilderness, and had been driven out by them.
If they insisted on going to their enemy, they would
be attacked and overcome.' Nor were hostilities
long in ensuing. In the afternoon some members
of the caravan were attacked while fetching water,
and their utensils stolen. Tippoo Tib, who was
eager to attack at once, allowed himself to be per-
suaded by the milder Said bin Ali to keep the peace
for the time. He determined to demand an explana-
tion from Mrongo Kassanga next morning.

In the night, however, it was clear that the
natives were planning war. All round drums

EEPULSE OF KASSANGA 77

sounded, which, as the Warua they had with them
recognised from the sound, were summoning the
people to battle. When the caravan was getting
under way next morning it was attacked. The
onslaught, however, was successfully repulsed.
Some townships were set on fire, and several hun-
dred prisoners taken.

Next morning, quite early, the drums again
sounded. The Arabs were afraid that this meant
a fresh attack, but their guides assured them that
these were the drums of Mrongo Tambwe's followers.
Presently 500 men arrived, and brought the news
that their master was just making his entry into
the townships on the lake, and begged his Arab
friends to meet him in the capital. When, after a
fair fight, it was again Tambwe's turn, the natives
were soon on the scene again, and commerce
flourished as in the days of his exiled rival. The
new Sultan showed himself very friendly towards
his foreign allies. In particular he sent them daily
boatloads of fish.

However pleasant life on the lake might be, it did
not offer what the travellers sought first and fore-
most. There was much less ivory here than even
in Kajumbe's territory. Then Tippoo Tib heard
that there was probably a great deal in a country
called Irande. The news was indeed not fuUy
vouched for, for other informants reported, on the
contrary, that there was no trade there in ivory —
only in stuffs made of tree-bark. Tippoo Tib said
to himself, however, that a country into which no
freeborn man had penetrated since the Creation
must certainly harbour ivory, and set off.

78 TIPPOO TIB

Shortly before their departure emissaries again
came from Msire to entice the travellers into his
country. To the inquiry what objects of barter
were most attractive there, they replied that Euro-
pean stuffs were in request. As Tippoo Tib had
only beads with him, Said bin Ali was told off for
the journey to Katanga. He had at the time been
unable to mate up his mind, like the other Arabs,
to leave his stuffs behind in Nsama's country, and
now hoped to make his fortune out of the loads that
had been so long dragged with him for nothing.
As soon as his trading was concluded, he was to
return to the Arabs who had remained at Itahua.

So Said proceeded southwards, protected by
thirty muskets. Tippoo Tib advanced further into
the unknown west. Guided by some men of Mrongo
Tambwe's, he crossed the Lualaba, but soon turned
back when he heard that an acquaintance of his —
Juma bin Salum — was staying in the neighbour-
hood near the capital of a chief named Kirua. This
Arab, generally known by the sobriquet of Jmna
Mericano,'-'" and so styled in many books of travel
by European explorers, was one of the oldest
traders in the interior of Africa. As early as 1858
Burton and Speke, the daring discoverers of Lake
Tanganyika, had come across him at Ujiji. He had
since then carried on trade iminterruptedly in
Itahua, Lunda, and Katanga, and since the early
seventies had kept a standing camp near Kirua on
Lake Usenge. The traveller Cameron found him

* Mericano was originally a cotton material imported only
from America. Juma was so called because he dealt principally
in it.

JUMA MEEICANO 79

in October, 1874 — somewliat later tlian the occiir-
rences here described — at his fortified settlement,
Kilemba, in Kassanga's country, and describes him
as a 'handsome, dignified man,' and the most
amiable and hospitable of the Arab traders in
Africa with whom he came in close contact.

Tippoo Tib endeavoured to get his friend to
accompany him on his journey to Irande, but met
with no response. Juma Mericano took the groim.d
that a certain profit on a small scale was preferable
to the uncertain expectation of great wealth, and
crowned his objections by declaring that he could
not enter a country in which no Arab had yet set
foot. Tippoo Tib called him a coward and started
off alone. The ivory he had so far acquired —
300 frasilas — he left behind.

On entering Irande there was at first not much
sign of ivory, but, on the other hand, the country
offered all the more interest in other respects. As
to the impressions he received there and the occur-
rences that ensued, we will let him give his own
account ia the next chapter.

CHAPTER Vn

THE NEW SULTAN OF UTETERA

' May one deceive the people ?
I 8ay not so.

Yet if you must delude them,
Be it not too subtly done.'

Goethe : Epigrams,

' The towns of the country were astonishingly large
and their number boundless. Their business is
to weave viramba. They build their towns in such
a way that there is a row of houses here and another
row there, like the rows of clove-trees. In the
middle there remains a vacant space, which is
some 40 eUs wide, or perhaps more, and the
number of the houses is fifty here and fifty there.
In the middle they build a remarkably big house
with a harasa, in which all the craftsmen assemble
to weave viramba. One may walk in a town for
six, seven, or eight hours. All their towns are
built in the same way : a row of houses here, and
another row there, and in the middle the work
barasa. So we marched about the land of Irande,
and however long we waited and inquired for trade
in ivory, there was nothing but viramba. And in
this country they knew nothing of freeborn men, nor

80

FIEEAEMS UNKNOWN 81

at that time did they know of guns. The Warua went
into this country and brought fish there to purchase
viramba, and if they saw ivory they at once obtained
it at a low price ; only there was no ivory. And
the Warua had no guns ; they had only bows and
arrows as Aveapons ; guns they did not know. They
asked if the guns we had were mituwangu, which
means " rammers." We said " Yes," and they
thought they were rammers. So we journeyed until
we came to Sultan Rumba. There was no ivory ;
their trade was just this viramba. And every town
was enormously big ; every town was a whole
country. So we passed through ever so many
districts till we came to Sultan Sangwa, at Mka-
suma ; only there he is called Mfisonge.

' There are no native Sultans in these countries,
but people come there from far away, who give
goods and make payments to those who own the
lands ; and these set up such an one as Sultan for a
period of two years. As soon as one has established
himself, another comes from far off in the same way,
builds himself a house in the forest, and pays goods,
stuffs, slaves, goats, beads, and vegetable oil until
he who reigned before him has finished his two
years and retires. Then the other steps in — such
is the custom there — and receives the produce of
two years. And likewise in those regions, when
anyone dies who is in debt and cannot pay, they do
not bury him ; or if he is buried, those who have
buried him must pay. He is taken into the forest,
and they hang him upon the fork of a tree. Below
they place his hoe or his axe or a basket at the
place where the dead man is hung up. If anyone

6

82 TIPPOO TIB

comes who has a claim on him, he is told : "If you
will have what is yours from yonder debtor, take his
axe or his hoe." Such is the nature of their laws
and customs.

' And as we marched they committed many
acts of violence against us and robbed us ; but
we put up with it, for they acted as if we had no
weapons, as if we carried rammers. So we marched
until one day we found a Shensi who could speak
Kirua tolerably. He asked us : " What is really
your desire ?" We answered him : " We are look-
ing for ivory." Then he said : " If you want ivory,
cross the Lomami, and go to Koto ; there is much
ivory there. Or go to Utetera, to Sultan Kassongo
Rushie, the son of Mapunga. That is not at all far
from here. There is plenty of ivory there. This
Kassongo Rushie is very old, and had two sisters,
named Ena Daramimiba and Kitoto. And a long
time ago, as we have heard from our parents, there
was a great Sidtan in Urua named Kumambe. His
second name was Rungu Kabare. He was very
powerful, and ruled all Urua as far as Mtoa, and
he made war upon all the Manyema lands and the
lands on the far side of the Lomami. He came also
to Utetera, and carried off the two sisters, Kina
Daramumba and Kitoto. They are of the race of
the Wana wa Mapunga. There there is very much
ivory. And two roads lead thither. One passes
through Nsara, and the Sultan is called after the
country, Mwinyi Nsara. By this road you will come
across Kasongo Rushie, who is on good terms with
the people of Nsara. On the second road you will
come to Mkahuja. The people there are among

A SHENSI ON UTETEEA 83

the opponents of Kassongo Riishie — the people
from Nsara and Ngno and Kibiunbe and Isiwa, and
Mkatwa and Msangwe — in short, more than twenty
countries with great Sultans, not counting a number
of small Sultans — aU these have banded themselves
together to fight against Utetera. And the in-
habitants of Utetera are very numerous, but rather
stvipid. When they are attacked they become
terrified. Every time they were attacked they
were beaten, and that has made them still more
cowardly." I wrote down all the stories which that
Shensi told me.

' We went on and marched until we came to a
place where we saw that our people had halted ;
the road branched off there. And they asked us :
" Where do you want to go ?" We said to them :
" We are going to Kassongo Rushie at Utetera."
They replied: "That is this way— take it!" We
marched further and bivouacked in villages. In the
morning we started off again. When it was twelve
o'clock we came to towns of another kind. The in-
habited places succeeded one another ; they were
not built like those we had come from. They were
built as in Urua — large towns and many in number.
One could see how one town joined another, for the
country is very open. We remained twelve days,
and it rained during that time. They brought us
very much ivory, and it was cheap. For two
vivangwa and a red coral and a garment you
got 2 or 3 frasilas of ivory. The tusks had no
value. You gave as much as you wanted to give
and then said: "Off with you quickly!" When
twelve days were past ivory became scarce. Then

6—2

84 TIPPOO TIB

came a Shensi who could speak Kirua very well.
He was a great rogue, and was called Pange Bondo.
He brought about four tusks and begged for my
friendship. I said : " Well, you are my friend."
Then he said to me : " I have been Sultan in this
country, and we have the following rule : Out of
those who are born in the sovereignty one line always
comes to power. When one line retires the other
takes its place — and so on, each line in its turn.
Each remains in power for two or three years, and
then withdraws without contention. Then another
succeeds." Pange Bondo, however, refused to
retire when his time was out, and they made war,
and the Sultan whose turn it was next was beaten.
They deposed him and chose another Sultan. And
they said to him : " You will not get the sovereignty
again, even when the Sultans who now precede you
have finished their time, nor will your children ever
succeed, for you have offended against our Constitu-
tion." Then he knew he would not rule again.
When it came to his turn another succeeded to the
throne.

' When we saw that trade fell off and no more
ivory was forthcoming, we determined to go to
Utetera. The Shensis of Mkahuja said to us : " You
must not go to Utetera before having been to
Kjrembwe." In the morning we started and pro-
ceeded to the frontier of Mkahuja. When we
reached that frontier the Sultan came in the after-
noon with about 400 men. They asked us : " Where
are you going?" I answered them : " To Utetera."
Then the Sultan said : " Give me presents, then we
wiU grant you the permission." We gave him

INVITATION TO UTETEEA 85

some twenty garments and ten garments to his men
and about 2 frasUas of beads. He said : " It is
well." Just then people came from Kirembwe and
said to us : " You must come to Kirembwe ; you
must not go to Utetera. The Watetera, you know,
are subject to us ; we have often marched out and
defeated them. But now we will fight against
them, you and we, and the ivory we will give to you ;
the women we will take ourselves." But we said
to them : " We will only go to Kassongo at Utetera."
We waited till the afternoon, then four Shensis
arrived, who came from Utetera ; they had marched
through the forest and came to our camping-place.
They asked : " Where is Tippoo Tib ?" Then they
were brought to me, and I asked them : " What
do you want?" They replied : "Kassongo Rushie
sends us. He begs that you will come to him.
There is much ivory there ; what you have bought
comes from us." Then I said to them : "It is well.
Utetera, you miist know, is my home. Kassongo is
my grandfather."* They asked: "How so?" I
told them : " Ages ago there was in Urua a Sultan,
Rungu Kabare Kumambe, who made war on all
countries, and amongst others came against Utetera.
There he took captive two women, Kina Daramumba
and Kitoto, and took them with him to Urua.
There my grandfather, Habib bin Bushir el Wardi,
my mother's father, who had also come to Urua,
met them, and he bought one of the women and
made her his wife. In this way my mother was
born. When I was born she said to me : "In my

* Properly ' great-uncle.' The Swahili always has at his
disposal a great number of babas, mamas, and babus.

86 TIPPOO TIB

own country I am a great Princess, and there is very-
much ivory there. And our elder brother is called
Kassongo Rushie Mwana Mapunga.' Then I deter-
mined to come, and fought with everyone who
came in my way, with the object of reaching my
home." These men were seven in number : four left
us on the spot and three remained with us in fear,
and we concealed them. In the night the drum was
beaten, and the Shensis said : " To-morrow there will
be war."

' In the morning came that Sultan of Mkahuja
with 400 of his people. The place where we had
made oiir camp was surrounded by towns ; they
were all large places. We had all of us slung
our guns about us, and had small shot and bxdlets
ready. Then two tusks of ivory were brought us
while we were engaged in fastening up our loads
and packing our tents. The tribesmen who were
with me said : " You go on with the guns ; we who
are behind wiU conclude the bargain." But I said
to them : " That wiU not do ; these Shensis have
been beating the war-drum all night, and the people
we have with us, the Watetera, say that we shall
quite certainly be attacked, and the principal chief
of Kirembwe, named Eangoigoi, has barred our
way ; therefore, it is better to conclude the bargain
while we are all together." So we proceeded to
conclude the bargain, and while doing so we were
surrounded by a great crowd of Shensis ; the Sultan
and his people were in the middle of it. But we
had said to our men : " No guns are to be fired
unless someone is attacked, for these folks believe
our guns to be rammers ; it is better that they should

PANGE BONDO CEOWNED SULTAN 87

continue to think so." Suddenly we heard the
report of two guns, and at the same time came two
of our Wanyamwezi who had been hit by arrows.
Directly afterwards we saw the Shensis flinging
spears at us. Then we attacked them.'

Of course it was an easy matter to defeat their
wholly untrained hordes. As usual, several towns
were burnt down, and the inhabitants with their
cattle driven off. Their simplicity showed itself
afresh in their begging Tippoo to recall their fallen
countrymen to life. The report of the guns, which
they thought muhogo - crushers, seemed to them
thunder. As storms were very common in their
country, they believed that their fallen brethren
had fainted at the sudden claps, and would easily
be waked again with a little daua (magic drugs).

Peace was negotiated by Pange Bondo, who stipu-
lated as a main condition that he should be again
set up as Sultan. This was willingly granted him
by Tippoo, but the Mkahuja people, as a counter-
poise, demanded their captured fellow-tribesmen
back. To this, too, Tippoo agreed at the advice
of his friend, for most of the captives were, as was
proved later, not children of the country, but slaves
from Utetera. After the conditions had thus been
agreed to, Pange Bondo was restored to his old
inheritance with great pomp. The coronation was
performed in this way : his subjects clapped moist
clay on his head and strewed flour over it ;
round his neck they hung a chain and ten living
chickens. This ornament he had to wear for ten
days, without regard to the fact that the birds died
off in the meantime. On the handing over of the

88 TIPPOO TIB

prisoners the wily Pange once more showed himself
a true friend to Tippoo. The latter naturally did
not possess ethnological experience enough to dis-
tinguish the people of Mkahuja from the Utetera
prisoners, and without the help of the new Sultan
would have been badly overreached.

With the naocking humour peculiar to him, the
autobiographer recounts in a graphic way how
Pange helped him out of his difficulty. One
morning the two augurs, followed by a crowd of
people, proceeded to a large vacant space where
the prisoners of war were marshalled. Tippoo Tib
seated himself and took a book in his hand, from
the magic formulae of which, as he informed the
wondering assemblage, he would learn which of the
prisoners was a native of the country and which
a Mtetera.'" He made the men march past singly,
and with confounding accuracy pronounced the first
dozen to be Watetera ; the thirteenth was the first of
Mkahuja's men. And so it went on, until it turned
out that, out of a thousand prisoners, only about a
htmdred were fellow-tribesmen, who were given
back, according to the agreement. The crowd was
speechless with consternation at the omniscient
stranger, and Pange himself, the old rascal, affected
boundless astonishment. He jimaped about as if
possessed, slapped his legs with his fists, and cried :
' Just look at the sorcerer ! You wanted to fight
with a man like that !'

The solution of the riddle was very simple. It

* The prefix u signifies the country, the prefix m (plural
wa) its inhabitants ; ki at the beginning of a word signifies
language, custom, quality.

AEEIVAL AT UTETEEA 89

had been agreed that Pange should make him a
sign every time a fresh prisoner was marched by.
If he cast down his eyes, it was a Mtetera passing ; if
the passer was a man of Mkahuja, the chief looked
up in the air.

The caravan got under way with its new booty,
and after four days' march reached a town called
Msange, on the borders of Utetera. The name
Msange signifies, in the author's opinion, a settle-
ment of men belonging to various tribes who had
joined together here on the frontier to keep ofE
common enemies. It was thus not a wholly
Watetera town, though these seemed to form the
majority.

After the travellers had made themselves at home
on the camping-ground assigned to them, a relative
of the Sultan, named Ribwe, visited them, who
struck Tippoo Tib by his exceptionally large build.
To him Tippoo Tib again dished up his weU-
prepared tissue of lies as to his relationship with
the Sultan, and recounted in a touching way how
year by year, not shrinking from war or privations,
he had journeyed in order to see the relatives of his
much-loved mother.

Ribwe, whom the vast knowledge of the stranger
must have fully convinced, was so touched by this
proof of his kinsman's affection that he at once sent
his new cousin 300 goats and 20 elephants' tusks,
and informed the Sultan, who lived four marches
away, of the joyful discovery. Kassongo, equally
convinced, at once sent envoys to fetch Tippoo Tib.
He did not require much pressing, and hastened
to the capital, which was of moderate size, and

90 TIPPOO TIB

inhabited only by Kassongo and his wives ; it was,
however, completely surrounded by larger towns.
Kassongo himself, tlie rtder of an important tract
between Lomami and Sankurru, was an old man of
eccentric habits. The only beings that he regarded
as bis social equals were tbe sun and the elephant.
He considered botb tbese as Sultans like himself.
He demonstrated liis respect for the sun by never
looking at the sunrise or the sunset, for he con-
sidered it improper to watch the toilet of his royal
brother. His regard for his brothers the elephants
he displayed by never eating their flesh or touching
their tusks.

If one may believe Tippoo Tib, Kassongo volun-
tarily resigned the sovereignty over the whole
country in his favour the very morning after his
arrival. Extraordinary as this may seem, yet it
appears to have been the truth that our traveller
with his clumsy artifice found credence, and at once
became ruler of the country. To the simple Shensis,
who till then had scarcely come into contact with
civilized tribes, it must have seemed inexplicable
how a stranger come from afar shoxdd on his
first entry into the country be acquainted with
the whole genealogy of the Sultan's family. More-
over, it stood Tippoo Tib in very good stead that he
had had the opportunity at Mkahuja of making
prisoners of several hundreds of Watetera. These
he brought back to his adopted grandfather as a
present, and was thus enabled to show his family
feelings in a most disinterested fashion, and so
destroy any possible doubt of the genuineness of
his blood-relationship. So he became Sultan of

TIPPOO TIB BECOMES SULTAN 91

Utetera, in full legal sovereignty. He exercised
justice and exacted heavy penalties from all who
committed offences. He also appointed subordinate
rulers, who had to pay him heavy tributes. Kas-
songo's conscientious attitude towards the elephants
turned particularly to his advantage. As the suc-
cession in the office of ruler did not bind him to
share the scruples of his kinsman, he could take
all the ivory for himself, and if he does not exag-
gerate, within a fortnight he had acquired 200 tusks,
of a weight of 374^ frasilas.

In other respects, too, he did not, in his activity
as Sultan, forget his business as a merchant. He
sent out his ixncle Bxishir bin Habib to trade in
Ukusu, a district lying to the west. As usual, this
commercial journey degenerated into a pkmdering
expedition, and Bushir, together with ten Zanzibaris
and fifty Wanyamwezi, paid for the attempt with
their lives. They were one and all devoured by the
cannibal natives. This again was the signal for a
great campaign, conducted by Tippoo Tib himself.
Even old Kassongo would not be held back from
taking part in the expedition. In spite of all repre-
sentations to the contrary, he insisted on not parting
from his long-lost great-nephew ; after having lost
his two sisters he would not survive their grandson.
If Tippoo Tib was doomed to die now, he would at
least share his fate.

The advance was made with a large force. Tippoo
Tib declares they had in a few days got together
100,000 men. The number is, of course, exag-
gerated, for the Arab has no conception of exact
computation, besides which he is fond of big-sound-

92 TIPPOO TIB

ing figTires. But an imposing levy was no doubt
mustered. Killing and burning, as usual, they
marched from place to place, and the cruelties
elsewhere practised were enhanced by all the male
prisoners being devoured, at which the victors
developed a hearty appetite, two of them eating up
a whole man. Tippoo Tib endeavoured to put a stop
to these doings — less out of love for his neighbour
than because the sickening smell of the slaughtered
human flesh upset him. The Manjema, however,
paid little heed to his representations. ' If,' they
rephed, ' we are not to eat men's flesh, do you refrain
from goat's flesh.' In face of this reasonable argu-
ment things remained as they were. After two
months the claims of justice were satisfied, the
natives who were left aHve paid an indemnity of
sixty tusks as a mark of submission, and the vic-
torious army withdrew.

Tippoo Tib's absence from Utetera had been
utihzed by Mkahuja to avenge himself for the defeat
inflicted on him. He had raided a village on the
frontier, plundering in the usual manner. Thus our
hero on returning from one campaign had at once
to undertake another. Old Kassongo again accom-
panied him. This time it was more serious, for the
enemy was strong, yet he was overcome within forty
days. A large territory was subjiigated and much
booty in ivory and goats secured.

The supply of ivory now came in very copiously,
for the conquered districts had to surrender all the
tusks they had. Pange showed himself a very trusty
subject, who paid his tribute regularly.

So Tippoo Tib spent several years occupied with

TIDINGS OF AN AEAB SETTLEMENT 93

the duties of a ruler in his own territory and with
expeditions, partly peaceful, partly warlike, into the
country round. In Marera, a district to the east, two
chiefs, Lusuna and Mpiana Nguruwe, vied with each
other for his favour. The first, after having made
various presents of ivory, sent his brother Rum-
wangwa as a regular envoy. He was received by the
newly installed Sultan with all honour. In the course
of the interview they came to talk of the fact that
Tippoo Tib's guns were greatly damaged and
urgently needed repairs. Then Rumwangwa men-
tioned that quite close at hand there were country-
men of Tippoo Tib's, who would certainly be able to
repair the damages. Thus our hero learned by
accident that only a few days' march from his place
of sojourn there was a flourishing Arab settlement,
at Nyangwe, on the Congo.

Naturally he at once became anxious to put him-
seK in communication with his feUow-tribesmen who
were so unexpectedly his neighbours, and he set off
for Lusuna's country.

On the way, however, his people broke the peace
by committing various acts of plunder. Lusuna,
out of regard for his powerful ally, winked at the
matter, but managed to induce him for the present
to remain behind with the bulk of his people ; he
himseK would take a small body with the damaged
guns to Nyangwe, and so estabhsh communications.

On the way they were attacked and fired upon by
Arabs fi-om Nyangwe, who were just making a raid
into the country round. But when they saw that
they had not to do with enemies, they parleyed with
them and learned that an Arab named Tippoo Tib

94 TIPPOO TIB

wanted to put himself in commtinication with them.
They had often heard the name, hut did not know
which of their countrymen was the celebrated bearer
of that designation. At their request our hero was
fetched, and was at once recognised by them as the
famous son of old Muhammed from Tabora.

CHAPTER Vin

THE ARAB TOWNS OF NYANQWE AND KASSONGO

' No ! here is not any need :
Black the maidens, white the bread !'

Goethe : Soldier's Comfort.

Great was the joy of meeting again, especially for
Tippoo Tib, wlio for almost ten years liad been cut
off from intercourse with his brothers and had no
idea how matters stood at home. He learned that
Siiltan Majid had died meanwhile (1870), and that
his brother Burghash, Tippoo Tib's enemy, reigned
in his stead. He also heard of the great cyclone
which in 1872 devastated the island of Zanzibar,
tore down houses and uprooted the strongest trees.
So, too, it was interesting news to him that political
conditions had changed considerably in Tabora.
Also they related that a European named Cameron,
with whom we shall have to concern ourselves more
closely directly, had arrived among them.

The leaders of the Arab host were two men of the
coast, Mwinyi Dugumbi and Mtagamoyo. They
wanted to take Tippoo Tib with them at once to
Nyangwe, but he preferred first to settle certain
business in his own country, and for the present
only sent some men with them to supply verbal

95

96 TIPPOO TIB

proof to the Arab settlement that Hamed bin
Mubammed was identical with the celebrated Tip-
poo Tib.

After a few days he followed in person. Nyangwe
made on him — accustomed as he had been for years
only to native villages — the impression of a promi-
nent capital. And, in fact, it was the entrepot for the
whole country to a great distance round. It lay, as
Cameron recounts, on a hiU that secured it from
fever, and consisted of two different settlements
situated on the right bank of the Congo. The more
easterly, which was kept clean, was inhabited by
Arabs and the better class of Swahilis ; the western-
most was the abode of the ordinary people of the
coast and the Shensis. Their chief was the Mwinyi
Dugumbi aforesaid, whom Cameron describes as a
rascal, ruined by drink and sexual excesses.

The Arabs here formed an imposing community.
Unlike other countries which they only passed
through to plunder, they had established here a
secure fastness, in which they might feel themselves
at home, and safe from any danger of attack. Here,
too, the Arabs' peculiar love for agriculture had
again come to the fore. In the well-watered low-
lands of the river they had laid out broad rice-fields,
which flourished so luxuriantly that people called
the whole country New Bengal. Tippoo Tib and
his people, who for many years had seen no rice,
felt their mouths water when they could once more
enjoy the old familiar dish.

Soon after our hero's arrival at Nyangwe, the
traveller Cameron, who was the first man to
cross the Dark Continent, appeared on the scene.

CAMERON'S JOUENBYINGS 97

Originally an English naval officer, he had been
chosen in 1872 by the London Geographical
Society to go to the assistance of Livingstone. On
March 24, 1873, he started, with three European
companions, from Bagamoyo. At Unyanyembe he
encountered the body of the great explorer, which
was being borne to the coast by his faithful
servants. One of Cameron's companions undertook
the guidance of the convoy ; the two others soon
succumbed to the effects of the chmate. Cameron
marched on alone to Ujiji, which he reached on
February 24, 1874. Between March 13 and May 9
he passed round Tanganyika, and discovered in
doing so the Lukuga, its westerly outlet to the
Lualaba. Proceeding further west on May 18, he
arrived in August at Nyangwe, where for a fortnight
he endeavoured in vain to procure boats to go down
the Lualaba. Although he did not as yet suspect
that that stream was the Congo itself, he was con-
vinced from the measurements he had taken that it
must be one of its principal tributaries, and could
not, as was generally believed, belong to the river
system of the Nile.

On August 19 Tippoo Tib visited him, and at
once, with the chivalry he always showed to
European travellers, offered his services for his
further journey westwards. He proposed to him to
follow him to his camp on the Lomami ; from there
on he would furnish him with guides, who would be
easy to find, as natives in small bodies were con-
stantly in communication with the Sankurru. As it
happened, some people from those districts were
present and could confirm Tippoo Tib's statements.

7

98 TIPPOO TIB

It must be admitted that tlie latter' s partiality for
the European was regarded with great disfavour by
his compatriots ; but he not only paid no heed to
their representations, but allowed himself to be in-
duced by Cameron, who wanted to lose no more
time, to make a particularly hasty start. His inten-
tion had really been to make a trip shortly to the
equally important Arab settlement of Kwa Kas-
songo,* which lay lower down the river, but he
allowed himself to be turned from his purpose by
the urgent entreaties of his prot^g^.

On August 26 they set off together, crossed the
Ruvubu, passed through various villages laid waste
by Arab bands ; and though Cameron, owing to
violent attacks of fever, could not make the usual
marches, they arrived by the 29th at a village of
Lusuna's, near which they pitched their camp.
Before this they had had a bloody encounter with
natives, who recognised in some of the people who
had joined the caravan from Nyangwe their old
enemies. The intervention of Tippoo Tib, however,
who was everywhere feared, soon restored peace.

They rested for some days near the village where
Lusuna was staying just then, as Tippoo Tib had
various matters to discuss with his ally. Lusuna
came backwards and forwards on visits to the camp ;
still more often did his wives, whose remarkable
beauty had made a particular impression on the
English traveller. They gradually became very
confiding, and a busy intercourse sprang up between

* The place was really called Mwana Mamba, but, because a
Kassongo ruled there, was mostly styled by the Arabs Kwa
(Big) Kassongo, and later simply Kassongo.

LXJSUNA'S PECULIAE HAEBM 99

the township and the stranger's camp. Ltisnna was
in the habit of bringing with him on his visits a
special carved chair, and using the lap of one of his
wives as a footstool.

On their onward march the caravan came to a
township, which was the chief's real capital and
inhabited by him and his wives. Lusuna's marriage
relations were, according to Tippoo Tib's account,
a remarkable freak of polygamy. Of actiial wives
he had thirty, who lived with him in his homestead.
The other women inhabitants of the place also
counted as his wives, only they were legally entitled
to provide themselves with other domestic com-
panions. The children born of them were reckoned
in any case as Lnsuna's offspring, and might attain
to the throne like his actual offspring. On
September 3 Tippoo Tib's camp was reached. It
was situated very favourably on a low eminence.
In spite of its temporary character, it had pleasant
houses, of which one with two living-rooms and a
bath-room was set apart for the European guest.

Soon after their arrival Kassongo announced his
visit, which was awaited in an open hall built for
gatherings. The Arabs put on their garments of
state in honour of the chief. Cameron as a tattered
traveller could not appear in gala costume. He
dwells on this with regret, and is quite right in his
instinct if he sees a shortcoming in his shabby
clothing. Man in a state of nature makes a great
deal of an imposing exterior, and among the indis-
pensable paraphernalia of an explorer should cer-
tainly be nmnbered a few garments of ceremony.
Zintgraff, the explorer of the Cameroons,' after he

7—2

100 TIPPOO TIB

had realized this necessity, had a white silk burnous
made for state occasions ; while Peters, in his
Emin Pasha expedition, devised a fancy -uniform
bedizened with gold in order to impress the Masai.

Cameron's account of his visit is as follows :"•■''
' An individual authorized by the chief to do duty as
master of the ceremonies then arrived, carrying a
long carved walking-stick as a badge of office, his
appearance being the signal for all porters and
slaves in camp and people from surrounding
villages to crowd round to witness the spectacle.
The master of the ceremonies drove the anxious
sightseers back, and formed a space near the
reception-room — as the hut may be termed — and
their different subchiefs arrived, each followed by
spearmen and shield-bearers, varying in nxmiber
according to rank, a few of the most important
being followed also by drummers.

' Each new-comer was brought to the entrance,
where the Arabs and myself had taken our seats,
and his name and rank proclaimed by the master
of the ceremonies, who further informed him the
position he was to occupy in order to be ready to
welcome Kassongo. After some time spent in this
manner, much dnmiming and shouting announced
the approach of the great man himself. First in
the procession were half a dozen drummers ; then
thirty or forty spearmen, followed by six women
carrying shields ; and next Kassongo, accompanied
by his brothers, eldest son, two of his daughters,
and a few officials about him, the rear being brought
up by spearmen, drummers, and mar^m^a-players.
* ' Across Africa,' 1877, vol. ii., p. 21.

CEREMONIAL VISIT OF KASSONGO 101

On his reacliing the entrance to the hut, a ring was
formed, and Kassongo — dressed in a jacket and kilt
of red and yellow woollen cloth, trimmed with long-
haired monkey-skins (a present from Tippoo Tib),
and with a greasy handkerchief tied round his
head — performed a jigging dance with his two
daughters.

' The terpsichorean performance being concluded
in about a quarter of an hour, he then entered the
hut, and we had a long conversation.'

Cameron informed the chief that he wanted to
cross the Lomami and proceed to the Sankurru,
which he believed to be a lake, and Kassongo
readily offered to help him by negotiations with
the Sultan of the territory to be traversed. How-
ever, the answer sent back by him was that 'no
strangers with guns had ever passed through his
country, and that none should do so without fighting
their way.'

The European w^as not disposed to risk forcing
his way through, though with Tippoo Tib's help he
felt himself strong enotigh to do so, but luckily it
proved possible to reach his goal by a circuitous
route. He learned from various quarters that Portu-
guese traders had arrived at the capital of Urua,
to the south-west of his present place of sojourn.
As a proof of the truth of this statement, an old
Portuguese soldier's coat was shown him, which a
native had recently received from one of the white
men.

So Cameron determined as his next step to get
into touch with these Portuguese, and Tippoo Tib
gave him three guides, who journeyed ten days

102 TIPPOO TIB

with him on the road. He reached the capital of
Urua, and found there Portuguese half-castes, who,
although Christians, were carrying on a brisk trade
in slaves. Indeed, they behaved much more cruelly
than their Arab fellow-traders, to whom no religious
injunction of love for one's neighbour forbids this
traffic as sin. After eventful journeys in the southern
districts — which Tippoo Tib had passed through
before — Cameron arrived with his Portuguese com-
panions, more dead than alive, at Benguela, on the
West Coast, in November, 1875, and thus completed
the first crossing of Africa — a meritorious exploit,
rich in geographical results.

After his men returned, Tippoo Tib had waited
three months longer in his camp, so as to be able
to help Cameron in case he came back unsuccessful.
As, however, nothing further was heard of him, he
departed to attend once more to his duties as ruler
and to his business affairs.

To begin with, he wanted to make the journey,
already planned, but given up on Cameron's account,
to Kwa Kassongo, where dwelt many of his friends
from Zanzibar. Above aU he looked forward to
meeting again his cousin, Muhammed bin Said —
who died lately at an advanced age in Zanzibar —
known far and wide as Bwana Nzige (Master Locust),
a name given him because his caravans were as
large as swarms of locusts, and ate bare all the
districts that they passed through.

As Kassongo Rushie had abdicated once and for
all, and was glad to have nothing more to do with
the business of government, our hero before leaving
Utetera had to appoint a representative there. He

BY NYANGWB TO KASSONGO 103

chose for the post a man of the coast named
Mwinyi Dadi, with whom he left a body of a
hundred Wanyamwezi with fifty guns.

Guided by some of Kassongo's men, Tippoo Tib
first made his way to Nyangwe. The Arabs there
wanted at all costs to induce him to remain with
them, so as to have the support of his powerful
armed force in their constant collisions with the
negro tribes around ; but he would not be per-
suaded, even when they warned him that there
was famine at Kwa Kassongo. As a born fatalist,
he believed that if he went there Allah, the Lord of
Might, would order all for the best.

At Kwa Kassongo the chief command over all
the Arabs was at once conferred on him. He found
that the people of Nyangwe had only told the truth
about the unfavourable state of things in the place.
Provisions were scarce, and the natives around
showed themselves hostile. The latter fact he had
occasion shortly to experience personally, as 200 of
his slaves were suddenly carried off.

This gave the welcome pretext for a great cam-
paign. True, the Arabs were not well provided
with weapons, but under the leadership of the ever-
victorious Tippoo Tib they feared nothing. The
Shensis were speedily vanquished, and had once
more to pay heav^- tribiite ; in particular, they were
forced to deliver up all their ivory. After peace
was restored agriculture once more flourished.
There was so much rice that the people of Nyangwe
came over to buy it, and paid a heavy price for it
in ivory. Tribes that lay further away were also
subjugated, so that all the way to Utetera things

104 TIPPOO TIB

were so peaceful that even women could pass to and
fro without risk.

Utetera itself proved to be a regular gold-mine.
Mwinyi Dadi saw to the affairs of his master so
excellently that he could regularly send ample
supplies of ivory.

From Kwa Kassongo Tippoo Tib for the first
time reopened communications with his old father
and other friends at Tabora. Their joy was great
when they heard of the prosperity of the long-
absent one. His messengers found Muhammed
bin Masud, his stepbrother, also at Tabora. Tippoo
Tib, as we know, left him behind at Itahua with
Nsama. After hearing nothing for years of the
brother who had journeyed so far away, he had
returned to the Arab town. During that time he
had acquired 700 frasilas of ivory, and passed
them on in Tippoo Tib's name to his creditor, Taria
Topan.

His compatriots at Tabora sent the messengers
back with various gifts, and bade Tippoo Tib come
home as soon as possible. But as trade was jiist
going well he could not make up his mind to
return, in spite of repeated persuasions. Most of
the Tabora messengers settled down in the new
country, became petty Sultans, and were so pleased
with their position that they never thought of going
home again.

When all messages had thus proved fruitless.
Said bin Ali at last came himself to bring his friend
away. As will be remembered, this Arab had
parted from Tippoo Tib in Urua, in order to trade
in Katanga with Sultan Msire. When his mer-

AEEIVAL AND DEATH OF SAID BIN ALI 105

chandise had come to an end, lie had got into commu-
nication with Muhammed bin Masud, and proceeded
in company with him to Tabora.

When he now arrived at Kassongo, Tippoo Tib
had just gone down the Congo on a trading trip.
At the news of Said's coming he at once turned
back, and at length allowed himself to be persuaded
to go to Tabora together with his friend. But
before he could carry out this intention fresh war-
like occurrences demanded his attention. The
Portuguese traders whom Cameron met in the
south of Urua had invaded Utetera, and robbed and
plundered there. Tippoo Tib marched against them
and defeated them.

On his return to Nyangwe he received the sad
news that his true friend. Said bin Ali, the com-
panion of so many years of wandering, rich alike
in privations and successes, had died. During the
course of the expedition news had been brought that
he had fallen dangerously ill of blood-poisoning.

So the return to Tabora again receded into the
distant future.

CHAPTER IX

WITH STANLEY DOWN THE CONGO

' La abrah hatta ablur magma el baharen au amdhi hukuban.'

' I shall not cease until I reach the junction of the two seas,
even if I have to journey for eighty years.' — Koean : Suret el
Kahaf, xviii. 62.

Some months went by in peaceful work at Nyangwe
and Kwa Kassongo, when one day the traveller
Stanley appeared on his famous journey across
Africa. His arrival turned the activity of our hero
for the next few months into fresh channels.

Stanley was born, in 1841, in Wales, of hnmble
parentage. His real name was James Rowland, but
he was afterwards adopted at New Orleans, where
he went as a cabin-boy, by an American merchant
and took his name. He travelled as a newspaper
correspondent through Turkey, Asia Minor, and
Abyssinia. In 1869 Bennett, the proprietor of the
New York Herald, sent him to Africa to look for
the long lost Livingstone. He found him at Ujiji
on November 10, 1871. In company with him, he
travelled round Lake Tanganyika, and then returned
home by Zanzibar, while Livingstone remained at
Unyanyembe. This journey had estabhshed his
reputation as an African explorer. After having

106

MEETING WITH STANLEY 107

taken part in the Ashanti Campaign in 1873-1874,
he was secured by the managers of the New York
Herald and Daily Telegraph, who shared the ex-
penses, for a new journey in Africa. Starting from
Bagamoyo, he marched, in November, 1874, to the
Victoria Nyanza, which he reached in February,
1875. In January, 1876, he visited Mtesa, King
of Uganda. That prince placed 2,000 spearmen
at his disposal for his further march to Lake
Albert. The goal which Stanley reached under
this escort was, however, though he was not aware
of it, the hitherto undiscovered Lake Albert
Edward. From there the explorer turned aside by
way of the territory of Karagwe to Tanganyika,
which he circumnavigated for the second time, in
June and July, 1876. At the end of August he
started from Ujiji for the west, and in October
reached Kassongo, where, among numerous other
Arabs, he found our hero.

The autobiographer describes this first meeting
in the foUowing very dramatic fashion :

' At the end of another month Stanley appeared
one afternoon. I bade him welcome, and we allotted
him a house. Next morning we visited him and he
showed us a gun and said : " With this gun you can
fire fifteen shots at a time." But we knew nothing
of a fifteen-shot gun ; we had neither heard of such
a thing nor seen one. I asked him : " From one
barrel ?" And he replied : " They come out of one
barrel." Then I said to him : " Fire it off, that we
may see." But he said : " I will sooner pay twenty
or thirty dollars than fire off a single cartridge."
Then I thought in my heart : "He is lying. That

108 TIPPOO TIB

is a rifle with one barrel, and the second thing
there must be the ramrod.® How can the bullets
come one after another out of the one barrel ?" And
I told him in turn : " On the Lomami is a bow on
which you place twenty arrows, and when jou shoot
it ofE the whole twenty fly at once, and every arrow
strikes a man."! Then he rose at once, went
outside and fired twelve shots. He also seized a
pistol and let off six shots. After this he came
back and seated himself on the harasa. We were
mightily astonished. I begged him " Show me
how you load." Then he showed me.'

Stanley makes no mention of this firing story,
which made such a remarkable impression on
Tippoo Tib, who, like all Arabs, is a great lover
of weapons. But the life-like picture he gives of
our hero is well worth reading.:]^

'He was a tall, black-bearded man of negroid
complexion, in the prime of life, straight and quick
in his movements, a picture of energy and strength.
He had a fine, intelligent face, with a nervous
twitching of the eyes, and gleaming white, per-
fectly formed teeth. He was attended by a large
retinue of young Arabs, who looked up to him as
chief, and a score of Wangwana and Wanyamwezi
followers, whom he had led over thousands of miles
through Africa.

' With the air of a well-bred Arab and almost

* What the narrator takes for the second barrel is the
magazine.

t This answer is quite in Jjeeping with Tippoo Tib's ironical
way. As he thinks Stanley is romancing, he wants to outdo
him by a still bigger lie.

I 'Through the Dark Continent,' vol. ii., pp. 95, 96.

STANLEY'S DBSCEIPTION OP TIPPOO TIB 109

courtier-like in his inamier, he welcomed me to
Mwana Wambe's village, and, his slaves being
ready at hand with mat and bolster, he reclined
vis-d-vis, while a buzz of admiration of his style was
perceptible from the onlookers.

' After regarding him for a few minutes I came
to the conclusion that this Arab was a remarkable
man, the most remarkable that I had met among
Arabs, Wa-Swahili, and half-castes in Africa. He
was neat in his person: his clothes were of a
spotless white, his fez-cap brand-new, his waist
was encircled by a rich dowie (dagger-belt), his
dagger was splendid ivith silver filigree, and his
tout ensemble was that of an Arab gentleman in very
comfortable circumstances.'

Stanley's first questions were about the fate of
Cameron, who, aiming at the same goal as himself,
had at this point abandoned the direction he had
kept hitherto and turned off southwards. What
particularly interested him was to learn for what
reasons his predecessor had left the course of the
river.

Tippoo Tib explained this to him clearly and
intelligibly. It was the difficulty in procuring
boats, the threat of hostilities on the part of the
natives of the districts they would have to pass
through, and the disinclination of his own followers
to risk their lives on a river whose channel was
difficult to navigate and whose course was quite
unknown.

With these obstacles, which many years before
had forced Livingstone to turn back, Stanley would
also have to contend. Like Cameron before him,

110 TIPPOO TIB

lie endeavoured to secure the powerful assistance of
the King of Mamyema, but at first he showed little
inclination and excused himself by the fact that at
the time he had scarcely 300 warriors with him.
These would indeed be enough to go with Stanley,
who had a strong force of his own ; but when
by-and-by he would have to return without him,
he would surely be annihilated. The Shensis, when
they saw, as they would, his troops coming back
alone and with empty hands, would say that the
powerful Tippoo Tib's caravan had been scattered
by hostile tribes, and would do their utmost to
complete its destruction.

To Stanley's objection that he himself was going
to face a still more hazardous future, the Arab
cooUy rejoined that it was his own personal
pleasure if it amused him to risk his life for the
discovery of mountains, lakes, and rivers ; he him-
self was a plain ivory-trader, and had no fancy for
such unprofitable tricks. At last, however, he went
so far as to say that he would sleep over the matter
once more.

The next morning, towards eight o'clock, the
discussion was continued, and Stanley was re-
quested to set forth his plans more in detail. He
replied that he intended to go down-stream in boats
until the river took a marked turn either north-
wards or westwards.

' How far was this by the land route ?'

He did not know ; perhaps Tippoo Tib did.

' No,' replied the latter, ' but I have brought a
man with me who has been further down-stream
than anyone else.'

HOEEIBLE STOEIBS OP ABED BIN JUMA 111

Tlie man in question, Abed bin Juma by name,
then informed the astonished Stanley that the river
flowed northwards and yet further northwards, until
at last it emptied itself into the sea. To be sure,
he could not say what sea it was ; it could,
however, if he was right about it, only be the
Mediterranean.

Asked for the source of his knowledge, he told a
wonderful story which, although swarming with
geographical impossibilities, yet doubtless had a
nucleus of truth. It was that on a predatory
expedition headed by Mtagamoyo, the fearless
leader of the Nyangwe men, after days of marching
they had come to the country of the Wakuma, to
the west of Lomami. There they had found some
representatives of that mysterious race of dwarfs
whose existence had long been regarded as a fable,
until at length, in 1876, du Chaillu, first among
Europeans, found similar pigmies on the Gaboon.
The first scientific investigations touching them
we owe to Stuhlmann, who in 1893 brought with
him to Europe two Batua women from the district
west of Ruwenzori. They are scattered from the
sources of the Ituri throughout the basin of the
Congo as far as the lower course of the Sankurru.
They live in groiips among the other tribes, with
whom they have little intercourse. They inhabit
thick forests and live by hunting, which they carry
on with poisoned arrows. Their stature never
exceeds 4 feet 10 inches, and it is supposed that
together with the Bushmen, with whom they have
many points of resemblance, they represent the
aboriginal race of Africa.

112 TIPPOO TIB

The dwarfs whom the Arabs met said that in
their country there were boundless treasures of
ivory. They themselves attached no value to it,
and even wondered why foreigners wanted it, as
it was not good to eat. Enticed further by these fabu-
lous narratives, Mtagamoyo's caravan after six more
days' march reached the land of the dwarfs proper,
but was very fiercely received by the malicious
little demons. They sprang from the soil around like
mushrooms, and showered their poisoned arrows
on the travellers, causing them endless losses.
Only thirty were able to escape with bare life.
In addition to this, Abed told harrowing stories
of apes as big as men and frightful snakes.

The route by the river was not less dangerous.
Below Nyangwe it was a mass of cataracts, which
would bring certain destruction to any vessel. Old
Daud (Livingstone) had turned back precisely on
this account, and no one would induce the Arabs
to return to those terrible regions.

In spite of this weird description, Stanley, whose
account we are follomng for the present, persisted
in his plan, and Tippoo Tib showed himself not
averse to it. He first told all the Arabs, with the
exception of his coiisin Muhammed bin Said, to
go outside, and then stated his conditions. His
countrymen had indeed urgently dissuaded him
from risking his life, but he did not want to place
Stanley in a dilemma, and so was ready, for a
consideration of 5,000 dollars, to accompany him
sixty days' march, reckoning four hours to each
day.

The following points were agreed upon :

STIPULATIONS FOE THE JOUENEY 113

1. The starting - point of the journey to be
Nyangwe ; the day and the direction taken to be
determined by Stanley.

2. The journey not to last longer than three
months.

3. The rate of travel to be two days' marching to
one day of rest.

4. After Tippoo Tib had accompanied him sixty
marches of four hours each, Stanley was to return
with him to Nyangwe, unless he met traders from
the West Coast on the way, whom he might join and
continue his march to the Atlantic. In that case
Stanley was to engage himself to hand over two-
thirds of his own men to Tippoo Tib as an escort on
the return march to Nyangwe.

5. Exclusive of the 5,000 dollars, Stanley was to
pay for the keep of 140 of Tippoo Tib's men during
their absence from Kassongo, going and returning.

6. If, owing to the difficulties of the country or the
attitude of the natives, he should find it impracticable
to continiie the journey, he would still have to pay
the full sum of 5,000 dollars.

7. In case Tippoo Tib should abandon Stanley
through faint-heartedness before the expiration of
the stipulated time, he was to forfeit all claim to
reward or payment for keep.

So far Stanley, from whose statements Tippoo
Tib's accounts differ materially. He says that
Stanley came to him as a suppHant, and begged
and entreated him to accompany him to 'Munza,' a
country situated eighty days' march from there in the
direction of Mecca — i.e., north-north-east — and he
would give him 7,000 dollars (not 5,000) ; and

8

114 TIPPOO TIB

that no mention was made at that time of the plan
of travelling by the river. Tippoo Tib replied
that he was not indisposed to come with him, but
that he was not doing it out of greed of gold, for he
possessed so much ivory that 7,000 dollars were not
a consideration to him ; if he went it would princi-
pally be out of desire to oblige.

He says that the next morning he declared his
readiness to go, but that he did not agree to the
conditions recapitulated by Stanley in the manner
set forth above ; least of all did any written compact
pass between them.

He also emphasizes the fact that his fellow-
tribesmen strongly advised him against going, and
when they saw he had made up his mind, reproached
him violently. He must have gone quite mad, they
said, to endanger his life to please an unbeliever.
Did he want to become a European himself ? But
he answered them with dignity : ' Perhaps I am
mad and it is you who are sane. Mind your own
concerns.'

It is plain that the accounts are widely divergent.
With regard to the sum agreed on — whether 5,000
or 7,000 dollars — perhaps Stanley is the more
worthy of credence. The Arab has, as has before
been insisted on, little comprehension for figures
and loves to exaggerate, while Stanley had no reason
to put the amount really promised too low, for he
never paid it, as we shall see later on.

However, it is one man's word against another's,
and as the negotiation was carried on without the
presence of witnesses, it is difficult to decide which
of the two accounts is the correct one.

UNCEETAINTY AS TO EOUTB 115

The greater advantage in the alleged compact lay-
in any case with Stanley. His enterprise would
perhaps have been wrecked by the ill-will of the
Arab, while the latter would have managed without
the 5,000 or 7,000 dollars, and did so manage in
the long-run.

Stanley then tells us a pathetic storj% embelKshed
with a dramatic night scene, in which he debated
with his servant Frank whether they should choose
the route which seemed more dangerous, but was
more in harmony with the object of their journey
along the line of the river, or that which Cameron
had adopted through Kassongo's country ; and how
they at last decided to settle it by the spin of a coin.
A rupee was produced and spun — ' head ' for the
river, ' tail ' for the land. ' Tail ' came down twice.
The straws also, which were next called on for their
oracle, gave their voice for the land route. In spite
of which the daring travellers decided to follow the
course of the river.

After these jests, the description of which displays
Stanley's bravado in the proper light, the morning
of October 23, 1874, dawned, on which day, accord-
ing to the English version, the contract was signed
and the details agreed to — viz., that Tippoo Tib
should take with him on the journey 140 armed and
70 reserve men.

On the 24th they marched from Kassongo to
Nyangwe, where Tippoo Tib assembled his men and
got them ready for the route. He had in the end,
including women and children, a train of 700 souls.
Of these, however, 400 belonged to Stanley's follow-
ing ; the remainder were only to proceed for a few

8—2

116 TIPPOO TIB

days in company with the main body, after which
they were to diverge in a north-easterly direction,
in order to trade in districts as yet unvisited.

On November 5 the caravan left Nyangwe, and
in the afternoon, after journeying a distance of nine
and a half miles over a rolling plain covered with
grass, reached the villages of Na-Kasimbi, in which
they made their first halt. On the 6th they found
themselves in face of Mitamba, a thick, black forest,
in whose shade, which no ray of sunlight illumined,
the travellers were swallowed up. He who has not
seen with his own eyes a tropical primeval forest
can scarcely form an idea of the horrors of siich a
wilderness. There is none of the refreshing breath
of our native forests ; a stifling, mouldy atmosphere
meets the intruder. Between stout and gigantic
trees wind creepers as high as a man, which mock
the axe as laboriously it seeks to make its way, and
grasp with their octopus-like arms at the garments
of the wanderer, who worms his way through the
less matted spots. The primeval tree-trunks, dis-
turbed in their sleep, shake down their dew in great
drops, and the groping foot seeks vainly for a firm
hold on the viscous soil.

Stanley was spared none of these difficulties, and
his course was stiU further hampered by the
munerous streams, carrying more or less water, that
had to be passed. In spite of this, nine to ten miles
a day were covered, though the carriers often did
not reach the camping-ground till late in the evening.
Those among them who had to carry the parts of a
steel boat that Stanley took with him fared particu-
larly badly. The sections could not always be

DIFFICULTIES IN THE FOREST 117

reduced to the dimensions of an average load —
which should not exceed 60 pounds — but had in some
instances to be made into doiible loads, and in the
closely-tangled undergrowth, through which a single
man could scarcely worm his way, it was a heavy
task to make progress with them. The stipulation
that they were only to march four hours a day soon
fell into disuse over it.

On November 11 the boat-carriers did not reach
camp at all ; they only came in at noon the next day,
completely exhausted.

Of course, under all these adverse conditions,
the mood of the caravan was from the first most
depressed, and degenerated from day to day
into open discontent, the more so as the few who
had followed this route before declared that the
terrors with which they had so far made acquaint-
ance were child's play to what was yet to come.
The most rebellious were naturally the men with the
boat, whose complaints, justified as Stanley could
not but own they were, found a loud echo among
the others. Even Tippoo Tib sighs at the recollec-
tion of the labours of those marches, and among his
followers there was open murmuring, which reached
Stanley's ears, against the ' Forest of the Infidel,' as,
with a certain double meaning directed against the
leader, they christened the jungle they were passing
through.

On November 14 the 300 men of the trading
caravan took leave of them and marched away in a
north-easterly direction. After a further very trying
march — so Stanley relates — on the morning of the
16th the remainder announced through Tippoo

118 TIPPOO TIB

Tib their determination to turn back. The forest
tbrougb. which they were now passing was not made
for travel ; only vile pagans, monkeys, and wild
beasts could harbour in it.

After two hours' debate, in which Stanley exerted
all his eloquence, he succeeded apparently in in-
ducing Tippoo Tib to accompany him further. It
was decided to strike off to the river, and march
along its left bank. Tippoo Tib pledged himseK,
setting aside the first contract, to twenty more
marches from their present camping-ground, in
return for a wage of 2,600 dollars, and it was decided
to discuss later a possible further extension.

Tippoo Tib's statements here again vary widely
from Stanley's version. He says that the American,
in face of the diflficulties of the march and the
unwillingness of the carriers, lost his head com-
pletely, and himself made the proposal to diverge to
the Congo. He entirely disputes any reversal of the
compact, to which he had from the first given only a
qualified assent, let alone the lowering of the wage
promised him. However that may be, on Novem-
ber 19 the river was reached, forty-one geographical
miles north of Nyangwe. It was about 1,200 yards
wide, and no longer bore the name Lualaba, as at
Nyangwe. Stanley, not yet knowing that he had to
do with the Congo, called it from this point on the
Livingstone.

After the camp had been pitched they began to
put together the steel boat known as the Lady
Alice. Meanwhile Stanley stretched himself in the
grass on the river-bank, and as, full of grave
thoughts, he contemplated the waters flowing past

ELOQUENCE OP STANLEY 119

him into an unknown distance, the resolution ripened
in him at all hazards to navigate their hitherto
uncharted course in boats, regardless whither they
might flow.

At once he summoned his people together in order
to deliver to them a stirring address. To show the
reader how skilful he was in handling the natives,
true to his old journaHstic calling, he gives this
speech, which is Avorthy of embodiment in an epic,
in two pages of print, with all theatrical accessories.
Of course, the eiSect of his words is that at once half
the at first hesitating blacks swear to follow him
blindly to the death ; only Tippoo Tib and a couple of
other Arabs stand aside as an obstinately dissentient
element, and endeavour to dissuade him from his
daring project.

He is already in a fair way to convince these also
by the all-mastering power of his eloquence, when
the palaver is interrupted by the appearance of
several canoes full of natives. Stanley tried, by the
help of an interpreter, to persuade them of his
peaceful intentions ; but when they heard that the
new-comers were from Nyangwe, their mistrust was
doubly excited. Even the promise of presents of
untold beads could not indiice them to bring their
boats in and take the travellers to the further bank.
On the contrary, they at once raised their war-cry,
which found a hundred echoes in the bushes on the
river-banks.

Meanwhile the steel boat had been put together,
and Stanley crossed to the left bank to open rela-
tions in person. The Shensis at length declared
themselves willing to enter into friendly intercourse

120 TIPPOO TIB

with the new-comers, on condition that the white man
should contract blood-brotherhood with their chief-
tain. An island in the middle of the river was
fixed on as the scene of the solemnity, the time to be
next morning.

Such proposals of fraternization on the part of
natives for the most part amount to a clnmsy snare.
This Stanley suspected, so as a precaution he landed
a considerable body of men on the island during the
night. His servant Frank was sent as white man
for the completion of the ceremony, while he himself
remained hard by with the boat, to be ready at once
in case of treachery.

He was not deceived in his forebodings. From
the first the Shensis adopted a threatening attitude,
and soon proceeded to open hostilities. But when
they were confronted by the reserves that had
been concealed during the night, they hastily took
to flight and paddled back to the left bank.

After the failure of this attempt at peaceful rela-
tions, Stanley determined at all hazards to transfer
his caravan to the west bank. As many men as the
Lady Alice would carry, thirty in round numbers,
were taken across to begin with ; while they set to
work to entrench a camp, the remaining carriers
were gradually fetched, and at length several
Shensis M^ere induced by a bribe of beads to place
six boats at their disposal for transport purposes.
By night on November 20 Stanley's whole caravan
was encamped on the left bank.

By the next morning the hard-won friendship of
the natives was again at an end ; all the villages far
and wide were deserted, and so it remained for the
most part during the ensuing march.

EBQUISITIONING OF BOATS 121

Stanley, with a few men, proceeded down-stream
in the Lady Alice ; the Inain body followed by the
land route. Both parties had unpleasant experiences
in the shape of hostilities on the part of the
dwellers on the banks, but the land detachment
came off worse, as it lost its way and had to sustain
an engagement with the Bakusu, with miich loss.
Not till November 26 did the two parties effect a
junction, after which they kept more in touch.

In course of time they succeeded in getting
together a certain number of native boats, which
were very serviceable, as small-pox and dysentery
broke out in the land division, and made many men
unfit for marching. A floating hospital was formed
for them.

The two accounts again differ greatly as to the
way in which the boats were procured. Tippoo Tib,
who is generally inclined to excuse his sins on the
ground of necessity, declares with praiseworthy
candour that the canoes were captured in a boisterous
' drive.' He writes :

' I attacked the Shensis, and took their boats and
goats from them. Every day I got six or seven
canoes, and any number of goats. But the inhabi-
tants are very well trained in making off with their
boats. They have also war-drums, called mingungu.
The first town beats them, then the second follows
suit, and every town that hears the signal passes it
on. Thus one may travel for two months without
finding any people in the townships. You only see
goats, for there are very many of them, and they
cannot get away. And most of the boats are small,
and one does not easily get them unless the
occupants hear bullets flying about their ears or

122 TIPPOO TIB

are actually hit by them. Then they plunge into
the water and leave the boats behind them.'

It is easy for Tippoo Tib to be outspoken over this
episode, for he knows that the European reader is
bound to lay the responsibility on Stanley. The
latter, however, in full consciousness of innocence,
disdains to invoke the plea of necessity, well-
grounded though it was, and describes to us how he
obtained lawful possession of the boats in a perfectly
peaceable manner. In the first instance six master-
less canoes were found and appropriated, while on
December 4 they discovered a very large boat that
had clearly been abandoned for years ; this, though
much damaged, was also annexed, and, after the most
urgent defects had been repaired, could carry sixty
persons.

These pieces of luck of course materially facili-
tated their advance, but for all that there were
difficulties enough, while sickness and the hostility
of the natives gave them no respite. More lives
were lost daily. On the 11th eight corpses, among
them the three youthful favourites of our hero,
were sunk in the waters of the fatal stream. In
the middle of December the river wing had a serious
encounter near the village of Vinya Nyaza, which
might easily have been fatal, but was turned into a
victory by the timely arrival of the land wing.
The Shensis took to flight, and in piirsuing them
thirty-eight canoes, mostly quite good ones, were
taken.

On December 22 formal peace was concluded,
and the long-desired blood-brotherhood accom-
plished. The Shensis received back twenty-five
boats ; the remainder were retained as a suitable

CONTEADICTOEY ACCOUNTS 123

indemnity. Stanley was now sufficiently provided
with boats to dispense with further help from
Tippoo Tib. They agreed to part here, somewhat
above the mouth of the Kasuku.

As to the manner of their agreement the accotints
again differ fundamentally. Stanley declares that
Tippoo Tib expressed to him so categorically his
intention of turning back at this point that he
abandoned all attempts at talking him over, although,
according to the last compact, the Arab chief was
still bound for eight days' march.

The latter, on the contrary, asserts that Stanley,
after thanking him heartily for the support so far
accorded him, himseK suggested his return, as he
had boats enough to proceed alone. iVll he had
stipulated with him was that Tippoo Tib should steal
two larger boats, in which he could conveniently
ship his riding asses ; and this coup they had
carried out together with great success.

On one point the two narrators agree — that the
condition was made that Tippoo Tib should exert
his influence to induce Stanley's men under all
circumstances to continue the march. Stanley is
silent as to hoAv this influence ^vas brought to bear,
while our autobiographer gives the following
dehghtful description :

' Hereupon Stanley summoned his men and said
to them : " Hamed bin Muharamed will turn back at
this point. But do you make ready. The day after
to-morrow we shall start." Then the men answered
him : "If Hamed bin Muhannned turns back, we
shall all turn back. We are not going into un-
known regions. We engaged on the coast for two
years, and now it is two years and a half. If Hamed

124 TIPPOO TIB

bin Muhammed turns back, we sball certainly turn
back too." And all the men persisted obstinately
that tbey would not go further. Then Stanley
became very mournful ; even his food was no longer
tasteful to him, and he was on the point of weeping.

' In the evening he came to me and said : " My
whole labour is lost if these men turn back. Then
I too must turn back, and my toil has been in vain,
Help me now, I implore you." I said to him : " God
willing, I will help you under all circumstances !"

' I lay down to sleep, and next morning visited
him and asked : " What have you decided ?" He
replied : " I have decided nothing, and I don't know
what I am to do." Then I said to him : " Well now,
follow my advice. Assemble all your people, then
call me and speak to me with harsh words, and say :
" n you go back all my people will turn back. They
cannot do otherwise. Now, my work is for the State,
and that is no other than Seyyid Burghash. If my
people turn back, I must turn back too. Then I
shall tell the Sultan that it was Hamed bin
Muhammed who made my further journey im-
possible. Then the State will confiscate your goods.
When you have said that it is well, then I shall
speak." Then I went away.

' In the afternoon he sent for me and called
together his people, and spoke to me in presence of
his men in harsh words, as I had prompted him.
Thereupon I said to them : "You have heard Stanley's
words ; now get you on your way and depart. "Who-
ever follows me I will kill ; for you would plunge
me in ruin and my property would be confiscated by
the Government. Then I should be as good as

TIPPOO TIB AND STANLEY'S MEN 126

dead. My toil during many years would be in vain.
Should I not certainly perish, here ? If you follow
me, I will kill you." Thereupon I withdrew and
they went their way.

' Towards evening came Stanley's people, and
their leaders said to me : " Our time Avith this
European is over ; we positively must turn back."
I said to them : " Your words are idle — march on."
Then said they : " Do you wish us to perish ?" I
answered them : " As it is with him so it wiU be with
you. If you are lost you wiU be lost together." Then
they said : " This European is a churl. He gives
us nothing without putting it down — not even
clothes does he give us ; not a single loin-cloth does
he give." I said to them : " Let that be my care. I
will give you as much as you want. Only go on."
Then they answered me : " What, then, are we to
do ? We are now afraid of you, because of the
words you have spoken. But with this European
we have nothing to do. Our time was up more than
six months ago." But I said to them : " Your
words are idle. Do as I tell you." '

Then, according to Tippoo Tib's autobiography,
Stanley at his instance gave his men nine loads
of garments, and thus won them, by gentle com-
pulsion, to accompany him further.

Although Stanley leaves these small details
unmentioned, he describes all the more minutely
the rewards which he bestowed on Tippoo Tib and
his men. Thus our hero received a voucher for
2,600 dollars, a riding ass, a chest, a gold chain, a
revolver, ammunition, and great store of beads,
copper wire, and clothes. His followers, according

126 TIPPOO TIB

to their rank, received from 1 to 20 dotis of material
for clothing.

Tippoo Tib in his autobiography says not a
word of these presents of Stanley's, though he
admitted to the author verbally that he received a
draft for money, but the amount was not communi-
cated to him, and as he cannot read English he
could not learn what it was. He sent the cheque
to his business friend Taria Topan to be cashed, and
was highly astonished to receive only 2,000 —
3,000 dollars on it, instead of the expected 7,000.
He disputes having received the presents enume-
rated by Stanley ; only as regards the donkey, he
does admit that he received two. Stanley had,
it seems, four riding asses, of which he took the
two best with him. He could not ship the other
two, and so gave them away. The stuffs that
Stanley entunerates as presented to him and his
men were really so given, but were not gratuitous.
They represented the payment of the keep, which,
according to compact, Stanley was to supply for the
return of the escort. But he had indeed made him
lying promises, and said :

' I do not know how I can possibly repay your
goodness, nor do I know what I am to give you
in money. For when I return to Europe I shall
receive high honours and mixch money. I will
present you with a watch worth 1,000 doUars,
with diamonds, and how much money I shall give
you I cannot reckon.'

Finally Stanley begged him to wait for a month
where he was, to be at hand with help in case he
should be forced to turn back.

CHEISTMAS, 1876 127

The last two days chanced to be Christmastide,
and were devoted to harmless amusements, so as to
distract Stanley's band from the feelings incident to
parting, and drive away the cares arising from an
uncertain future. The captured canoes received
the proud titles of English war-ships, and raced
against each other, the winning crew receiving
prizes. Foot races also were held, and even the
stately Tippoo Tib did not disdain to take part in the
sport. The village street, 300 yards in length, was
made into a course, on which the Arab chieftain and
Frank the servant tested their swiftness of foot.
Tippoo Tib was first at the winning-post with a lead
of 15 yards, and received a prize of a silver drinking-
cup. Races between lads, and even dusky ladies,
formed further items in the enlivening programme.
A war-dance by the Wanyamwezi, whose deep-
toned drums and shrill fifes sent a strange
Christmas music into the stillness of the primeval
forest, wound up the festal day.

On the second day of holiday-making Tippoo
Tib gave a banquet to the whole caravan.

The rice and roast mutton were freely washed
doAvn with pahn wine, in the forbidden fire of which
the last cares for the future were drowned.

On December 27, 1876, Stanley with his follow-
ing began the further march into the unknown, and
at the beginning of August, 1877, reached the West
Coast. The principal result of his crossing of
Africa, rich as it was in other respects, was that it
decided beyond dispute the question of the soiirce of
the Congo.

CHAPTER X

BT TABORA BACK TO ZANZIBAR

' I had no more than this staff when I passed over this
Jordan ; and now I am two hosts.' — Gen. xxxii. 10.

Tippoo Tib waited for a montli, according to his
promise, at tlie place where Stanley had parted with
him, and then marched to the lower Lomami, where
he found very advantageous trading conditions.

The natives of those parts had, indeed, no concep-
tion that ivory was an object of value. They hunted
elephants, it is true, but only for the sake of their
flesh ; the tusks were for the most part heedlessly
thrown away into the bush, where they rotted or
were devoured by insects. Here and there the
Shensis took them, and turned them to strange uses
in the Arillages. Artists who had a glimmering of
the high value of this important product fashioned
flutes and household utensils out of it ; ivory mortars
were common, in which bananas, a leading article of
food of these tribes, were mashed up. It was also a
favourite plan to plant the tusks in the ground as a
fence round the homestead. One can fancy how the
Arabs' hearts beat high when they passed such a
precious fencing.

As an equivalent for the ivory, copper was given,

128

CHEAP IVOEY 129

which Tippoo Tib had acquired by barter at
Utetera. He had bought 5 frasilas of that metal
there for a frasila of beads. Half a frasila he had
presented to Stanley at parting ; for the remainder he
now obtained 200 frasilas of ivory. A frasila of
beads cost at the time he purchased it in Zanzibar
3 dollars, while he could sell that Aveight of ivory
for at least 50 dollars. So his 3 dollars had turned
into 10,000.

The departure entailed many fresh combats, and
the caravan had often to suffer from the poisoned
arrows of the Shensis, although there were not so
many fatal wounds as before, for the men had
learned from Stanley that the wounds must be at
once cauterized to avoid the effect of the poison.

Only when the camp was pitched in the immediate
neighbourhood of the river had they any peace, for
the dwellers on the banks had a lively recollection
of the former encounters, and fled hastily to the
islands when the travellers came near.

At Kassongo Tippoo Tib found the situation most
favourable, and, what was most important for him,
the tribtites of ivory from the conquered districts
had flowed in abundantly. By his subjects he was
received vdth jubilation ; they had been distressed
at his lengthy absence, and now the news spread
like wild-fire through his whole domain that he had
come back safe and sound.

As to the two next years, he has not much to
record : they went by monotonously with expeditions
— some peaceful, some warlike — in the country. He
appointed his cousin Muhammed bin Said, who had
grown tired of the nomad life, regent in Utetera,

9

130 TIPPOO TIB

where lie was so much, at ease that he could not
wish for anything better ; ' for the Shensis of those
regions are good-hearted, the women are fair, and
the country is fruitful.'

In the middle of 1879 our hero was again re-
minded of his home by messengers from Zanzibar.
Sultan Burghash sent him by letter a summons
to return at once, as his banker, Taria Topan,
wished to settle accounts with him. The two years
for which the advances were made had by now
grown to twelve, and his business friend must" be
kept waiting no longer.

In order to give this missive, which was couched
in very friendly terms, quite an of&cial character,
the Sultan sent with it a valuable present — a modern
repeating rifle. The gift was all the more flattering
as Tippoo Tib had not as yet had the honour of
making the giver's acquaintance. Taria, who also
gave him a rifle, wrote in the same strain as the
Sultan, and added the news that Stanley had some
time before (November 26, 1877) returned to Zanzi-
bar, and had said a great deal about his friend Tippoo
Tib. There was a letter from him, too, and in it, as
a valuable remembrance, Stanley's photograph. At
the sight of it our chronicler could not restrain a
mocking laugh.

If there is anything for which the Arab or Swahili
has by nature no appreciation, it is photographs. If
his sight has not been trained by repeated trials to
do so, he is quite unable to distinguish the person
represented, however well known to him. Now that
modern civilization has, among other important
necessaries, introduced half a dozen photographers

STANLEY'S PHOTOGRAPH 131

into the country, every native can acquire this
faculty by staring at show-cases, and he even thinks
it well worth while, if he can muster up the cost, to
rescue his more or less handsome features from
oblivion by having them imprinted on the dark
plate. But that Tippoo Tib, who in a rough nomad
existence of twelve years had become a stranger
even to the modest luxury of Zanzibar, should have
the very slightest appreciation for the delicate atten-
tion of his Western friend, no sensible man could
expect.

So he only felt surprised, and supposed when
Stanley got home he would discharge the re-
mainder of his debt and send the valuable presents
promised.

After Tippoo Tib had received these messages
he needed a whole year to settle all his affairs in
the country. As he expected to be away for a long
time, he had to take care to fill the important posts
with trustworthy men who combined prudence and
energy with good will, and thus could well watch
over his interests. In particular Nyongo Luteta,
to whom he entrusted his affairs in Utetera, proved
himself a very useful representative.

At last he set out, in company with his cousin
Bwana Nzige. Large as was the host of carriers he
took with him, it was not sufficient for the rapid
transport of the boundless stores of ivory which he
had been gathering together for years. Hence the
following order of march was adopted : Tippoo Tib
went on ahead with the body of carriers, who took
with them as many loads as they could possibly
manage. After four hours' march he pitched his

9—2

132 TIPPOO TIB

camp and sent the carriers back to his cousin, who
remained behind with the iinconveyed ivory. When
the remainder reached Tippoo Tib's camp next morn-
ing, he proceeded further in the same manner. As
the distance had thus to be traversed by the carriers
three times, of course much time was lost, and the
march from Utetera to Tanganyika, which without
burdens can at a pinch be made in a month,
occupied half a year.

Lake Tanganyika had been since the far-off time
when our traveller had last crossed it the goal of
many African explorers, and had by their zeal been
brought to the closer knowledge of the West. In
February, 1858, the English travellers Speke and
Burton were the first Europeans to sight the great
inland sea ; but the first Westerners to navigate it
were Stanley and Livingstone, in 1872, after the
successful search for the latter in the interior of the
Dark Continent. Four years later it was systemati-
cally circumnavigated by Stanley in the course of
the crossing of Africa which we have described.
Much had also been contributed to the exploration
of the great sheet of water in 1873 by Cameron, and
later on, between 1878 and 1880, by the travellers
Hore, Thomson and Cambier, Bohm and Reichhardt.

Tippoo Tib struck the lake at the port of Mtoa,
which was known to him of old and used by all the
caravans that trafficked with the West. By the
busy stir which he found here he could judge how
long he had been a stranger to the Eastern world.
Where formerly only primitive dug-outs rocked on
the waves, stately vessels, such as are to be seen in
the Indian Ocean, now proudly spread their sails

MISSION-STATION ON TANGANYIKA 133

to the wind. Even some representatives of the
Western lands, where thirty years before the very
existence of the inland sea had been a fable, had
established a permanent camp here in the heart of
the Dark Continent. Close beside the Arab town
from which the caravans started for the West on
their man-destroying traffic, the English mission-
station of Plymouth Rock looked out on the country
from a low hiU, Hke a bulwark of peace and herald
of a new civilization. The manager of the station,
Mr. Griffith, gave a friendly greeting to the Arab
prince, who was probably well known to him by the
accounts of returning caravans.

On the eastern shore, opposite Mtoa, and in good
weather only one day's sail from it, lies the well-
known Arab town of Ujiji. Here it was, as we have
already seen, that on November 10, 1871, Stanley
found Livingstone. He describes the Arab settle-
ment as a flourishing commercial town, in the much-
frequented market of which the tribes of the
whole interior of Africa fixed their rendezvous.
Wissmann, who in 1882 passed through it soon
after our traveller, found that the town had fallen
off greatly since Stanley's visit. Many houses stood
empty, and their state of disrepair proclaimed that
they had long been uninhabited. The population
was composed partly of Arabs, with their numer-
ous slaves, partly of free natives of the country.
The Wajiji were exceedingly skilful navigators,
and as such were much employed by the Arabs.

Though the latter formed the ruling class, the
real autocrat of the town was a Swahili named
Mwinyi Heri. He had been appointed governor by

134 TIPPOO TIB

Seyyid Burghasli, and, as the symbol of his power,
proudly hoisted over his hut the red flag of the
Sultan.

Ujiji was, however, still an important entrepSt,
where the products of the country were daily dis-
played for sale in large quantities, beside the wares
of their native Zanzibar - — fish, fruit, salt, butter,
honey, slaves, ivory and cattle on the one side ; on
the other, samples of the wares that were brought
by European ships to the shops of the Indians of
Zanzibar. Glass beads, red or blue, were in use as
payment for the humbler articles.

As a port Ujiji was not well chosen, as the shore
is flat and unprotected, so that vessels have con-
stantly to be drawn high and dry. At Wissmann's
coming some forty dhows lay in the roadstead — a
nmnber never reached at a single port on the coast
of German East Africa.

Tippoo Tib halted for the present at Mtoa, but
sent his cousin on to greet the Arabs living at
Ujiji, to obtain water carriage, and to inquire into
the possibility of continuing the march to Tabora.
The coimtry was, it must be said, in the highest
degree unsafe for caravans, for a powerful native
prince named Mirambo had for many years carried
on a war of extermination with the Arabs.

We will pause for a moment to consider this
interesting personality.

Mirambo was born about 1830 in Unyamwezi,
where his grandfather, Mvura, was set up as Sultan
of the small and poor district of Ugoa by Tippoo
Tib's grandfather, Juma bin Rajab. After Mvura's
death an uncle of Mirambo's succeeded to the

MIEAMBO 135

sultanate, while lie himseK was left to earn his
living unaided ; and in spite of his high family
connections he adopted, like most of his com-
patriots, the calling, more lucrative than princely,
of a mpagasi (carrier).

On the death of his imcle he became Sultan.
He soon extended widely the borders of his hitherto
insignificant dominion. With the help of the free-
booting Wangoni he first conquered the neighbour-
ing country of Uriankuru, which, together with
Ujoa, he united in the sultanate called after him
Urambo. By the plundering of many Arab caravans
numerous rifles fell into his hands, with the aid of
which he extended his influence westward almost to
Tanganyika, northwards to the Victoria Nyanza,
and southwards to the sixth degree of latitude.
His successes made siich an impression that super-
natural powers were everywhere attributed to him.
It was said that he could fly, was invulnerable, and
needed no sleep.

With the Arabs of Tabora he was at first on
fairly peaceable terms. They reluctantly paid the
hongo imposed on their caravans, and did not ven-
ture in their constant state of disunion to attempt
anything against so dangerous a chieftain. At last,
however, his encroachments seem to have grown
excessive, and in the sunnner of 1871 it came to
a sanguinary encounter between the two parties.
Stanley* was just at that time the guest of the
Arabs at Tabora, and took part in the conflict.
He assigns as the cause of the war that Mirambo
had demanded of a caravan marching to Ujiji
* Cf. 'How I found Livingstone,' chap. viii.

136 TIPPOO TIB

an exceptionally high toll, and because difficulties
were made about the payment, which was, however,
at last made, he forbade all Safaris whatever to pass
through his territories for the futxire. Tippoo Tib
declares that the quarrel broke out because Mirambo
refused to hand over 200 slaves of the Arabs who
had fled to his country.

At any rate, when Stanley arrived at Tabora the
fury of the Arabs was boundless. The general
anger was especially fanned by Khamis bin Ab-
dullah el Barwani, an influential man who, in the
course of long journeys, had grown used to bloody
conflicts, and regarded it as a disgrace that his
fellow-tribesmen there, among whom he had for
some time made his home, allowed themselves to
be so terrorized by a mere unbeliever.

After long dehberation, a force of 2,255 men,
with 1,500 muskets, took the field against Mirambo
in the beginning of August, confident of victory. At
the end of a week they returned to Tabora in wild
flight. Mirambo had fallen on one of the divisions
marching against him on the frontier of Uriankuru
in the high grass, and destroyed it almost to a man.
At the news of this disaster the remaining heroes
also turned tail.

On the 22nd of the month Mirambo appeared in
person before Tabora. Khamis bin Abdullah, the
one brave man among the Arabs, went out against
him ; but his little force was surrounded by the
superior forces of the savages and annihilated.
Mirambo then stormed some of the less well
fortified tembes, burned down several houses, and
looted a quantity of cattle and 200 elephant's

TIPPOO TIB'S PLANS FOR THE MARCH 137

tusks. Then lie returned, well satisfied, to liis own
territory.

Since that time a regular guerilla warfare had
been carried on between Mirambo and the Arabs.
They had done each other as much damage as
possible by plundering, as occasion presented itself ;
but the Arabs suffered the most, as their caravans
could only get to the lake in fear and trembling by
secret paths.

At the end of a fortnight Bwana Nzige returned
with the news that the road to Tabora was difficult
of passage owing to the enmity with Mirambo ; but
his compatriots at Ujiji begged Tippoo Tib to
come to them as soon as possible, to talk over in
person the details of the further march. Tippoo
Tib determined to venture on the journey at all
hazards. He intended to leave behind the greater
portion of his ivory and take with him principally
armed men, under whose protection he hoped to
convey safely some 100 frasilas. From Tabora
he would then send fresh armed bands to Ujiji to
fetch the ivory left behind without risk.

At Ujiji he had intended to stay with the
Vali, Mvnnyi Heri ; but an Arab named Mu-
hanuned bin Khalfan invited him to come to him,
and Tippoo Tib, after assuring himself that the
chief ofl&cial of the town would not take it ill,
accepted the invitation. This meeting with his as
yet unknown compatriot was destined to have
disastrous results to our hero, as the subsequent
history will show. Rimialisa — such is the widely
familiar sobriquet of his new friend — robbed Tippoo
Tib of a large portion of his fortune.

138 TIPPOO TIB

Soon after tlie arrival at Ujiji fresh inteUigecce
came from Tabora to the effect that the road was
now quiet. Tippoo Tib thereupon altered his plan
so as to take the whole of the ivory with him, and
make for his father's town by the nearest way, vii
Ruanda and Uvinza. He was joined by the Arab
Salum bin Abdullah el Marhubi, who had been
appointed by the Sultan administrator of the in-
heritance of Said bin Ali, who had died at Kassongo,
and accordingly the far from inconsiderable stores
of ivory of his friend had been handed over to him
at Ujiji. Less than a day's march from that place
our travellers found themselves already exposed to
various hostilities on the part of the Waruanda.
Salum, who had lagged somewhat behind with his
men, was surprised by the Shensis and completely
stripped. He with difficulty saved his bare life, and
reached the camp late in the evening, in rags and
bespattered with filth. Two of Tippoo Tib's men,
who had ventured some way from the camp to fetch
wood, were also killed. Next morning the natives
ventured an open attack, but were repulsed.

Then Tippoo Tib assmned the offensive. He
constructed an entrenched camp, from which he
made raids into the surrounding country. The
very first day he had asked support of his country-
men at Ujiji, which soon arrived. With their
assistance the whole country was soon devastated,
and made so subject to the control of our hero that
he was able to regard himself as at home and send
for the whole of his ivory. After the lapse of some
months his eldest son, Sef, visited him. He had
been left behind as a small boy at Zanzibar, where

THE YOUNG SEP 139

lie was brought up. Now he was eighteen years
old, and had joined some business friends of his
father's — the Arabs Salum bin Omar el Wardi and
Said bin Habib el Afifi^ — on their first trading trip
into the interior. He brought a great number of
Wanyamwezi with him, who were very welcome to
Tippoo Tib as carriers and enabled him to convey a
large portion of his ivory.

His fellow-tribesmen at Ujiji viewed his depar-
ture with regret. They had taken a deh'ght in
the expeditions under Tippoo Tib's ever- victorious
leadership, and were afraid that without the prestige
of his dreaded name they would not be a match
for the numerous Shensis. At their request he left
them 140 guns, with the corresponding number of
warriors, by means of whom Rumalisa and Mwinyi
Heri reckoned on holding in awe Ruanda and
Uvinza. Tippoo Tib, however, did this unwillingly,
and seems not to have approved of the plans for
further fighting. ' These people must always be
making war,' he writes in reprobation.

His way through Uvinza was not a path of roses.
The ruler there was the powerful Sultan Kasanura,
who exacted heavy tolls from travellers. Besides,
he carried off all the slaves he could lay hand on,
and carriers who ventured away from the camp
were inexorably killed.

Our hero would gladly have had recourse to
arms in face of these outrages, but prudence
restrained him, as he had a large train of carriers
and but few fighting men, and defeat would have
been likely and the loss of ivory irreparable.
Postponing his plans of revenge to a future date, he

140 TIPPOO TIB

px.it up with all these arbitrary acts, and at length,
though heavily fleeced, reached Tabora in safety.

He halted at Itura, his wonted quarters. There,
after long years, he saw his old father once more,
and his step-brother, Muhammed bin Masud, hap-
pened to be there also. ' The dancing, the killing
of cattle, and the feasting lasted a fortnight. The
merriment was extraordinary.

From Tabora Tippoo Tib at once placed himself
in communication again with the Sultan and his
banker. In order to enable him to provide for the
safe transport of his unconveyed ivory, he begged
the former to send him a large quantity of powder.
The answer came by return that the Sultan had
pleasure in presenting him with twenty hundred-
weight, which would reach him through the agency
of Taria Topan.

As our hero, delighted at this prospect, was just
about to return to Tanganyika, there came an
embassy from the dreaded Mirambo to old
Muhammed bin Juma with offers of peace. He
appealed to the fact that there had never been
enmity between them. On the contrary, since the
time of their fathers they had been united in the
bonds of friendship. He, Mirambo, respected
Muhammed as a father, as he had shown often
enough. He had always given Muhammed credit
for equally friendly sentiments, though he naturally
could not give expression to them out of regard for
the other Arabs, Mirambo's sworn enemies. Now
he had heard that the son of his friend had
difficulties with regard to the ivory left behind on
Tanganyika. He, Mirambo, would certainly put no

MIEAMBO'S OFPBES OF PEACE 141

hindrances in his way, and begged him to pass
through his territory without fear. He was delighted
to make the acquaintance of the far-travelled caravan
leader.

Tippoo Tib eagerly took advantage of this
favourable disposition, and sent off messengers at
once to assure Mirambo of his friendship. On
reaching his town, however, they did not find the
chief himself there — he had just started on a fresh
expedition against the Sultan of Tabora. His brother,
Mpanda Sharo, who had remained behind, received
the envoys with all honour, and dismissed them with
valuable presents.

The news that Mirambo was again on the warpath
soon reached the Arabs at Tabora, but they did not
know against whom he was marching, and racked
their brains as to the object of his new hostiHties.

Tippoo Tib meanwhile had departed westwards.
On the frontier of the Tabora territory messengers
fi'om his compatriots reached him warning him to
go no further, as he might any moment happen upon
Mirambo's bands. It was the ninth of the month
El Hadj, the eve of the great Arab feast, which he,
like all his countrymen, was in the habit of
celebrating with great scrupulosity even in the most
difiicult situations. He replied quite calmly :

' To-day is the ninth of the month ; to-morrow is
the tenth of the month El Hadj. As soon as the
feast has been kept I shall set out, and all things
are in the hand of God, the Lord of Might. I
cannot stay. It would cost me much money, and
the carriers would also make difiiculties for me, in
order to get home again.'

142 TIPPOO TIB

In accordance with this programme, he started
off after the feast, and encamped near the sources of
the Wataturu, one of the few watering-places on
this route, visited by every traveller. Here people
were wont to provide themselves with the precious
fluid sufiiciently for the next few days, which led
through districts where water was scarce. In the
night a heavy torrent of rain broke over them quite
unexpectedly, as it was the dry season. All the
guns were wet, and there was reason to fear
that the powder in them had become useless, so it
was proposed to discharge them all and load afresh.

A tremendous volley rang out from 500 muskets,
which thundered far and wide through the wilder-
ness, and was heard by Mirambo's men, who were
just marching towards the celebrated watering-
place. He was returning from a successful
expedition, and had no idea that Tippoo Tib was
near at hand. Nevertheless, he called out at once
when he heard the thunder of innumerable guns :
' That miist be Plamed bin Muhammed. No one
can shoot like him.' In the hope that Tippoo Tib's
route would lead him past his camping-place, he
remained there a day longer.

Tippoo Tib, however, had as yet no news of the
peaceful result of his mission, and therefore thought
it more advisable to avoid for the present a meeting
with the powerful chief. Continuing his march at
greater speed, he came on many traces of Mirambo's
column, and was therefore forced to take special
precautions in advancing. Suddenly a fusillade
was heard from tbe rear-guard. Two men were hit
by bullets, and in the general confusion various

ATTACK ON KASANUEA 143

loads went astray. As it turned out later, this
was not a deliberate attack by Mirambo, but some
of his men who had left the column to plunder had
made a marauding attack on their own account,
without knowing that the object of it was their
master's friend Tippoo Tib.

After a few further marches Tippoo Tib reached
Uvinza, where he now intended to take his revenge
for the injury done him when marching through.
He had beforehand warned Rumalisa to be ready to
support him. How he settled accounts with his
old enemy Kasanura we can learn best from his
own narrative :

' We determined to declare war and smite the
Sultan of Uvinza, Kasanura. He had settled on a
river. There are five or six ditches there — half on
one side and the other half on the other. His town
is laid out exactly in the middle. It was strongly
fortified and surrounded by a moat. Behind the
first entrenchment a second was built, and inside
long tree-tnmks were planted. The intervening
space between the entrenchments was filled up with
sand, so that no bullets could penetrate. Towers with
loopholes were also built. There was no point open
to attack. But we did not know that the city was like
that, and sent out men to attack it. They marched
there, and passed the first and the second and the
third ditch. The water rose to their belts or a
trifle higher. When they advanced towards the
homa the Wavinza in it remained quiet, but when
they came quite near they were fired on with small
shot, and the enemy sallied out and they were driven
back, and many were killed. We asked those that

144 TIPPOO TIB

came back : " How are things there?" They replied :
" We have come back again, though you could
hardly have hoped for it. The rest have all fallen."
They came back in twos and threes, and by the even-
ing forty-six men were missing who had fallen.
Their guns were lost, and some even that escaped
had thrown theirs away, to the number of thirty.

' We waited two days, and on the third I deter-
mined to start — ourselves, and our belongings, and
our wives. We marched as far as the river and
there pitched our tents. Next morning we passed
the ditches, and they sallied out, and it came to a
fui'ious encounter between us, and they fell back to
their fastness. Next day we crossed with our packs
and our followers, and traversed all three ditches.
Then we pitched our tents, but our camp
had no entrenchment. They sallied out several
times, but we drove them back, and they fled to
their homa. Each time several men fell, both on
their side and on our side. So we remained for
several days, but their boma was not to be got at on
account of its many defences.

' And they sent out men secretly to beg support
of Mirambo, but he refused, saying : " Hamed bin
Muhammed is my friend. I cannot help you." And
he informed me of this. So a month and a half
passed by, and the struggle became still more furious,
but there was no getting at their homa. Muhammed
bin Khalfan said to me : " Shall we not go into
the moat and fight with them ?" I answered him :
" You understand nothing of war. You have never
fought. He who goes into the moat does not come
out again. It becomes his grave, and the attack is

PERSEVERANCE LEADS TO VICTORY 145

foiled." And I had a number of workmen witli me
- — carpenters — to whom I said : " Make planks ready
for me, but they must be of heavy wood." They
went away and sent across ten boats, which were
very large and of heavy timber. They dragged
them to the spot and broke them up. So we got
long planks. These planks we nailed together and
made wheels underneath. Then we took this
framework to the ditch and set up other planks on
the top, so that those in the towers shoiild not see
the men inside the structure, and when they fired
the bullets would only penetrate the wood a little
way, biit no men would be hurt. And we felled
trees also to strengthen the structure. When we
had done we went inside — we and the best of our
slaves. While we were inside the men dragged the
machine forwards, for it went on wheels. We had
made loopholes in it also. The enemy came out and
endeavoured to get at us, but could not. So at
last we came down into the moat. Then tree-trunks
were brought to build the homa still higher. The
structure stood firm, and we worked till late in the
night. When we were higher than their homa, no
one could leave their homa any more. And inside
the houses were built of grass. We set them alight
during the night, and the people fled out of the
to^vn, and many were killed and some taken
prisoners, and we set up another Sultan.'

Tippoo Tib's delight at this victory was damped
by the news that his old father had died at Tabora.
At the same time, however, came from there the
cheering intelligence that the powder presented
by Seyyid Burghash had arrived meanwhile, and

10

146 TIPPOO TIB

had already been sent on by Msabbah bin Niem, the
newly-appointed Vali of the Tanganyika district.
Thus Tippoo Tib found himself in a position to
take with him all the ivory left behind on the lake
within a measurable space of time.

At XJjiji he parted company with his old travel-
ling companion, Muhammed bin Said. The latter
felt a longing to return to the flesh-pots of Man-
yema, and our hero was not sorry to hand over
to him his affairs in that country. He sent to all his
subordinates letters instructing them for the future to
acknowledge Bwana Nzige as their master, and giA^e
lip all the ivory to him. Yet he made the stipula-
tion that his friend before departing should await the
arrival of the ammunition expected from Tabora.

When he himself was aboiit to quit Ujiji,
Rumalisa earnestly begged him to take him with
him. In spite of his many raids in Uvinza, he had
'gathered no moss'; on the contrary, he had run
through the whole of a fortune entrusted to him by
his kinsman Juma bin Abdallah. The latter, a
friend of oiir traveller, had already several times
requested him by letter to send him back either his
property or Rumalisa's person.

Out of consideration for his cheated friend on the
one hand, and on the other out of pity for Rumalisa's
helplessness, Tippoo Tib allowed himself to be per-
suaded to take him with him to the coast at his
expense.

Many other Arabs had joined the caravan, which
marched unmolested through the now subject Uvinza.
Things did not go so well when they reached the
neighbourhood of Usoki, where the old dread of

MIEAMBO'S PEOPLE AGAIN 147

Mirambo awoke in tlie Arabs once more. For years
it had become a recognised thing that caravans no
longer took the ordinary route throiigh inhabited
localities, but made their way through the desert
by secret tracks, known only to the initiated. A
special reputation as guide was enjoyed by a Mnwa-
mwezi named Katutuvira. He knew every water-
hole in the wilderness, and earned good money by
guiding trading parties that were seeking to avoid
Mirambo.

But although our travellers had secured the
much- sought -for pathfinder, they ran straight
into Mirambo's arms. Some careless carriers had
strayed, as usual, from the watering-place, which
was reached at noon. In their endeavours to find
honey in the bush, they ventured somewhat further
from the camp than was advisable, and suddenly
found themselves in face of the advance-guard of
a force of the dreaded chief. Four were taken
prisoners, and the rest fled back to the camp with the
terrible news ' Mirambo is coming.' All preparations
for defence were speedily made, but scarcely had
they begun to drag thorn-bushes to the spot for
a zareba, when the captives returned in good case
and reported that they had parted on the best of
terms from Mirambo's warriors. When these learned
that they belonged to Tippoo Tib, they at once
treated them as friends, and told them their master
had strictly forbidden them to harm him or his men.
Soon after envoys came from Mirambo and exchanged
greetings and presents with the Arabs. Next morn-
ing Tippoo Tib saw the whole train pass ; it was an
imposing force on its return from a successful raid.

10—2

148 TIPPOO TIB

Without further adventure the traveller reached
Tabora, vrhere unhappily he did not find his aged
father living. His stepmother, Nyaso, however,
received him with all honour, and he, too, showed
her all the respect due to the wife of his deceased sire.
Not long before his death the latter had laid her
tenderly on Tippoo Tib's breast with the touching
words : ' Man knows not the hour of his death. If I
die, look to thy mother, Nyaso, daughter of Fundi
Kira, and that with both eyes, if thou wishest that I
should be satisfied with thee.' And he had replied :
' If God will, she shall be even better off than in thy
lifetime.'

Muhammed bin Masud had meanwhile made him-
self useful by conveying all the ivory stored at
Tabora to the coast. So there remained to be
transported only what had just been brought from
Tanganyika. As it was just the season for tilling
the fields, and carriers were not to be had, Tippoo
Tib determined for the present to proceed without
loads and leave the care of the ivory to his brother.

His plans, however, were crossed by a fresh
invitation from Mirambo. Either he was to come
himself or send his son Sef on a visit. Tippoo Tib
determined on the latter, but encountered resistance
from the Arabs at Tabora. They did not believe in
the peaceful intentions of their old enemy, and
prophesied that Sef would certainly be mtirdered.
Tippo Tib answered them in his superior way :
' Then it does not matter.'

He had just then a large caravan ready to proceed
to Ujiji. He now caused it to take the road to
Urambo, and young Sef, richly provided with

ANGEE OP THE AEABS 149

presents for the chief, joined it. His reception at
Mirambo's town was, if we may believe the auto-
biography, a most brilliant one.

The Arabs were furious that Tippoo Tib was so
fi-iendly towards their enemy. They were animated
by a blind hatred against Mirambo, who had
done them many an evil turn, and although
peaceful intercourse would have been to their
interest, they wotJd not hear of a compromise with
the insolent unbeliever. While they, like their
fathers and brothers, had for years risked life and
property in their feud with him, Tippoo Tib had
been attending to his selfish interests in Manyema.
He knew nothing of the righteous hatred which the
loss of kinsmen who had fallen in war, the pkuider-
ing of rich convoys, and the murder of numberless
slaves, had nourished in their hearts. Just because
it suited him they were to forego their most preciotis
prize— revenge ! Well, they were much obliged for
the offer of a peace which they did not want, and
they recoiled from no means of ruining the prospects
of conciliation.

After having tried in vain to hold Sef and his
people back from the trip by gloomy prognostica-
tions, they devised a frightful snare to entice him
and his caravan to destruction.

They sent ten Wauyamwezi disguised as men of
the coast to Mirambo, informing him that Seyyid
Burghash had sent a great army from the coast to
the support of the Arabs, and would shortly attack
him with superior numbers ; they, the ten men,
had escaped on the road to give him timely warning.
Their whole bearing and dress were calculated

150 TIPPOO TIB

to obtain credence. ' They looked like people who
had come from a journey.'

The Arabs had hoped that Mirambo, as soon as he
received this news, would at once seize young Sef,
and if he did not kill him, at least keep him so long
as a hostage that a subsequent reconciliation would
be impossible. But he did not allow himself to be
taken in so easily. He told Tippoo Tib's son
what had been secretly alleged, but added that he
did not believe the story. Far from doing his
guests any harm, all he thought of was that no
unpleasantness should result to them from the
stories told. He begged Sef to get the other Arabs
to depart with their caravans, for as soon as the
story became further known, their Wanyamwezi
would get frightened and return to Tabora ; then
they would have no more carriers and M^ould suffer
great losses.

The Arabs acted on the suggestion, and Sef too,
some days later, returned with valuable presents to
his native town.

In the days when Sef paid Mirambo this memor-
able visit, Wissmann, then on his way from the West
Coast, was also a g-uest of the dreaded chief. He
depicts'* Mirambo as a man of tall and sinewy
btiild, placid, attractive features, and gentle speech.
His exterior and bearing gave no hint that he was
the hero before whom for ten years past hundreds
of Arabs and thousands of natives had trembled.
Mirambo very hospitably offered the German traveller
entertainment, and showed him with pride his exten-

* Wissmann, ' Unter deutscher Plagge quer durch Africa,'
ohap. xiii. (Berlin, 1899).

WISSMANN'S ACCOUNTS 151

sive arsenal, in which many guns, great quantities of
powder, and innumerable spears, bows, and arrows
were stored. We also learn from Wissmann the
date when Sef made his entry — August 31, 1882.
The European traveller describes Tippoo Tib's son
as a young man of twenty with a chivalrous bearing.
His handsome exterior was spoiled by a furtive glance,
and he certainly afterwards afforded Wissmann
proofs of a spiteful disposition. Tippoo Tib clung
with especial affection to tliis his eldest son, and
never quite got over his early death, of which we
shall hear later.

Of the exact circumstances under which Tippoo
Tib's mission was sent Wissmann gives a some-
what different account. He says the desire to
make peace originated with our hero, who, as the
Uvinza route was made precarious in consequence
of Mirambo's constant raids, desired to secure a road
through his territory for his caravans of costly
goods. He also says that Mirambo posed as a bene-
factor towards Sef, and received the son of the
famous traveller poKtely, it is true, but treated him
throughout as a suppliant.

It is hardly doing an injustice to the future
Imperial Commissioner if one ventures to doubt
whether at that time, when he came from the West as
a perfect stranger, he had a just appreciation of the
state of affairs. There is much in favour of Tippoo
Tib's statement that Mirambo desired peace. He
had, as Wissmann himself acknowledges, great
stores of ivory, which he could not turn to accotint
against the will of the Arabs. Even if he succeeded
by means of his military superiority in carrying liis

152 TIPPOO TIB

caravans through, the forbidden region of the Tabora
people, it was still necessary to convey the ivory
to the purchaser on the coast. Now, the natural
ally of the Tabora Arabs was their Sultan at
Zanzibar. He could at any time lay an embargo on
the treasures that had safely reached the sea as a
war indemnity for his subjects, and then all the
trouble of sending the convoys so far would be
wasted.

Wissmann himself mentions later on that
Mirambo was thoroughly desirous of making peace
with Seyyid Burghash. And to whom could he
have applied rather than Tippoo Tib, with whom
he was connected by family traditions, who cherished
no personal grudge against him, as he had been
absent during the principal conflicts, and who,
having regard to the importance of his caravans,
could only profit from peaceful relations ? Perhaps
Wissmann attached too much significance to the
ofiicial dignity with which the powerful Sultan met
the young Arab. In any case, it was to the interest
of both to make peace, and it was only natural that
both did their best finally to attain it.

Wissmann also speaks of the legend regarding
the army supposed to have been sent by Seyyid
Burghash, though in a somewhat altered form.

He learned from Sef that his father meant to
proceed very shortly to Zanzibar. As he had but
a few men with him, and on the way to Tanganyika
had learned to his cost to what risks an insufficiently
protected caravan was exposed, he determined to
join the Arab chief on his further march to the
coast.

WISSMANN VISITS TIPPOO TIB 153

On September 5 he reached Tabora, and drew up
at the Catholic mission-house, a large tembe with a
roomy veranda. The year before the White Fathers
of the Algerian Mission had made their abode here,
and had already left their mark on the country
round.

Wissmann here had the opportunity of observing
that, in contradistinction to the Evangelical missions,
which chiefly devoted themselves to doctrinal
efforts, the Catholics attached more importance to
practical training in civilization. With but narrow
means at their disposal, they had installed them-
selves admirably. Gardening, agricidture, and
cattle-breeding flourished under their guidance.
He was bidden welcome with the cheering hospi-
tality usual in the wilds.

Two days later he paid Tippoo Tib — to whom he
handed a letter of recommendation from his son —
a visit in his town of Ituru. He describes him
graphically as ' a man of about forty-five and quite
black in complexion, although his father was a pure
Arab. Somewhat stout, he is yet very quick in his
movements, graceful and polite, decided in his
gestures, yet has often, like his son, a touch of
watchfulness and furtiveness, and seems to be fond
of mocking.'

This fondness for mockery, which at once struck
Wissmann during his short visit, is indeed a
characteristic of our hero which he retained till
his old age. The statement that his father was a
pure Arab is erroneous, as may be remembered
from the second chapter.

Wissmann then told him about his journey,

154 TIPPOO TIB

during whicli he had often come in contact with
Tippoo Tib's people, and everywhere been well
treated by them. Then he expressed the wish that
the sheikh would take him with him to the coast,
and advance him the articles necessary for the
journey. Tippoo Tib agreed to this, and Septem-
ber 27 was fixed as the day for setting out together.

Well armed as the caravan was, yet it could
not evade the nimaerous attempts at extortion on
the part of the natives at Ugogo. There was a
great drought in the country, and the few water-
holes were jealously watched, the use of them
not being conceded until after the payment of a
considerable hongo. Unluckily also, the small-pox
broke out in the convoy, claiming several victims
daily, and forcing its leader to be exceptionally
compliant.

Both travellers speak of these mishaps, Tippoo
Tib using the opportunity to present himself again
as an angel of unselfishness. He says that the
Wagogo only meant their demands for hongo for
the Christian, but that, in order to spare Wiss-
mann unpleasantness, he paid it all, without parley,
out of his own pocket.

After a last wretched march through the cheer-
less Marenga Mkali, Mpapwa was reached at the
end of October. Wissmann, who had gone on
ahead with a small body, got there first, unmolested.
Tippoo Tib's caravan was surprised on the way by
robbers, and suffered considerable losses in goods
and lives. At Mpapwa their ways parted. Wiss-
mann took the north road by Mamboge, and reached
the coast near Saadani on November 15. He had

WISSMANN'S CEOSSING Of AFEICA 155

thus, as he proudly boasts at the ead of his
book of travels, broiight to a glorious conclusion
the first crossing of the continent under the Ger-
man flag. He was, moreover, the first man to make,
from west to east, the journey already accomplished
by Cameron and Stanley. And if anything goes to
justify a biography of Tippoo Tib it may well be the
fact that he was the faithful g-uide, and had no small
share in the success of these three pioneers in the
crossing of Africa.

CHAPTER XI

FRESH JOURNEY TO STANLEY FALLS
' Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.' — Dan. v. 25.

Tippoo Tib marclied through Usagara to Bagamoyo,
where he deposited his loads with the then agent of
Taria Topan, the Indian Jan Muhammed Hansraj,
who afterwards attained to wealth and high position
in Zanzibar. That same day he started in a dhow
for Zanzibar, and reached his home on the 9th of
Mohurram, 1300 (November 22, 1882). Although
he did not land till nearly ten in the evening, he at
once sought out his creditor, who knew already
from Rumalisa, who had been sent on before, that
Tippoo Tib would follow directly. The Indian
surprised him by the question whether he felt
inclined to become Vali of Tabora, as the former
Viceroy, Abdullah bin Nasib, had been recalled.
Our traveller replied with a smile that he was King
of a far larger country than the whole of Tabora,
and was in a position to keep several Valis on his
own account. Taria answered that Seyyid certainly
entertained the idea of offering him the post at
Tabora, and would feel greatly humiliated in his
pride as Sultan if Tippoo met the offer with a curt
refusal ; he must at least make, a show of consider-
ing the proposal.

156

BACK AT ZANZIBAE 157

Next morning he again called on Taria, and found
there a Belgian, who proposed to him to undertake
a journey with him to Manyema. He, the Belgian,
would supply guns and ammunition, while Tippoo
Tib was to find the necessary carriers. The proceeds
of the journey were to be divided equally. Tippoo
Tib replied that he was a subject of the Sultan of
Zanzibar, to whom, as a matter of course, his other
territories were subject ; if the latter gave his con-
sent he would think the matter over. The Belgian
represented to him, on the contrary, that he was
sole ruler in Manyemaland, and the Sultan had no
authority over him. Tippoo Tib, however, per-
sisted that he could undertake nothing without the
Sultan's sanction.

That same morning he paid his visit to Seyyid
Burghash, whose acquaintance he had not yet made.
He had much to tell him about his successes in
West Africa, and finally reported also the proposal
of the Belgian. Burghash thereupon answered that
he had really had it in his mind to make him Vali
of Tabora, but from what he heard of his influence
in Manyemaland and the plans of the European, he
considered it more advisable that Tippoo Tib should
return speedily to his dominions, so as not to leave
them a prey to the desires of the Western traveller.
Tippoo Tib begged for a respite, at least until the
whole of his ivory had arrived from Tabora, but the
Sultan pressed for a speedy departure.

However, our hero soon found excuses enough,
with the usual Arab faculty of procrastination, to
stay a considerable time at Zanzibar.

In the first place, Wissmann arrived, some

158 TIPPOO TIB

days later, and had to be reckoned with. Tippoo
Tib says he only charged him for the goods
advanced at cost price, and said nothing about the
tolls paid for him at Ugogo.

Our traveller had also to hold consultations with
the British Consul-Greneral, his old acquaintance
Sir John Kirk. He was particularly interested in
the state of affairs at Ugogo, whose inhabitants
had already given rise to many complaints by the
systematic extortions they practised on passing
caravans. He proposed to Tippoo Tib to devise
means, in concert with Seyyid Burghash, to bring
the country wholly under his control. H the Sultan
had taken this hint — if, as easily might have been
done at that time, he had secured the roads to Ugogo
by adequate military posts, and thrown large bodies
of troops into the country — he would have been just
in time to avert the loss of his great possessions in
Africa. When, two years later, the chiefs of the
districts lying between Ugogo and the coast sub-
mitted to the German Protectorate, the Sultan's
protest passed unnoticed, because he could not
prove that he had ever exercised substantive rights
of sovereignty in those districts.

But Seyyid Burghash always had much less
inclination for the extension of his political influence
than for commercial undertakings. This observa-
tion was made at this very time by Wissmann when,
on reaching Zanzibar, he duly paid his visit to the
Sultan. Quite uneducated, as all the Oman Arabs
still are, he had no conception of the vast tracts
which his subjects had explored and subjugated in
his name ; and when Wissmann told him of the

SULTAN OF ZANZIBAE'S PLANS 159

many countries through which he himself had
passed, the only question that interested him was
whether there was much gold and silver there.
When he replied in the negative and could not even
give satisfactory information as to the presence of
coal, the interest of the Sultan was at an end. No
other points of view existed for him.

Now his thoughts were only concentrated on the
commercial opening-up of the districts extolled by
Tippoo Tib as rich in ivory and slaves, and he
endeavoured, disregarding the pohtical necessity of
keeping the route to them open under all circum-
stances, first and foremost to secure a monopoly of
trade for his subjects in the new regions.

In accordance with the Sultan's plenary powers
at that time, he promulgated a decree, mainly
directed against the Belgian, that no one should
enlist carriers until Hamed bin Muhammed was
sufficiently supphed. Taria was once more made to
open an unlimited credit for him, and this time,
after the first speculation had turned out so well,
and Tippoo Tib been so successful, probably was
not unwilling to do so. Personally the Sultan
heaped many tokens of his favour on the famous
traveller. He presented him with 2,000 rupees in
cash, besides rich stuffs and other things that
delight the heart of the Oriental — fragrant perfumes,
richly-adorned weapons, a gold watch, and a diamond

ring-
On this fresh journey Tippoo Tib took with him

his newly-acquired friend Rumalisa. He had,

indeed, intended to trade on his own account, but

could not (as the autobiographer spitefully insists, in

160 TIPPOO TIB

view of the enmity that afterwards arose between
them) get anyone to lend him a farthing. Rnma-
lisa's brother Nasor was also taken as a companion.

At Tabora our hero found letters from his cousin
Bwana Nzige. He complained that the people in
Manyema had become refractory, and that he felt
powerless against them. If Tippoo Tib did not
come very quickly, he would expose himself to
heavy losses, for much ivory lay ready for him.

Tippoo Tib at once determined to march on, but
could get no carriers at Tabora, as it was just harvest
time. In his need he applied to Mirambo, who at
once, like a true friend, sent him 200 men. Tippoo
Tib armed them and set off. His merchandise, to
the value of 80,000 dollars, he left to the care of
Rumalisa, who was to collect more carriers and then
to follow.

As our hero, being sure of Mirambo's friendship,
meant to take the shorter road through his country,
the Arabs again endeavoured to sow discord between
them. They made out to Tippoo Tib that he would
certainly be attacked by Mirambo, and tried to
persiiade the latter that he was coming to make war
on him. But once more their slanders failed.
Tippoo Tib was received with all honour, and
Mirambo again requested him to intercede that
he might secure final peace with Seyyid Burghash.
He reported that he had on a previous occasion sent
the Sultan a great supply of ivory, but the present
had been declined ; now he meant again to send
him forty tusks, and Tippoo Tib must try to con-
vince him of the sincerity of his peaceful intentions.

Tippoo Tib parted from his host on the best

THE EENEGADE JUMA MEEICANO 161

of terms, and on the 29tli Rajeb, 1300 (beginning
of Jime, 1883), reached the Arab settlement of
Kwa Kassongo. Next day he visited his friends at
Nyangwe.

After a short stay he continued his march to
Siiltan Lusuna, with whose help he got together a
large force. With the energy characteristic of him,
he soon restored order throughout his territories.
While he was engaged in setting up new Valis,
a letter reached him from old Juma Mericano, who
was in great distress in a country north-west of the
Lomami, the Sultan of which, Kassongo Karambo,
had falsely persuaded him that he could do excel-
lent business in ivory there. When he got there it
turned out that the ruler had simply intended to
cheat the stranger out of his merchandise. He
forbade his subjects to sell ivory direct to the Arab;
Juma had to buy it all from the Sultan himself at
high prices, and did not receive permission to leave
the country till he had found a purchaser for all
his goods.

But matters were brought to a crisis by the
fact that the Sultan had been audacious enough to
claim as his property several tusks of Tippoo Tib's
that had been handed over to Juma. This gave our
friend the desired excuse for extending his authority
to this country.

On the way there he did some advantageous
strokes of business at Ukosi. How he went about
the work he does not say in his biography, only
he remarks, significantly enough, that as soon as he
approached all the Shensis ran away and gave him
the new sobriquet of Mkangwansara. The meaning

11

162 TIPPOO TIB

of this title is said, to have been ' He is afraid of
nothing, or only fears that he and his men should
not find enough provisions.'

The country was rich in copper. In six days he
' acquired ' 700 frasilas. He then marched in
a northerly direction through thickly populated
locahties, and at length reached the capital of
Kassongo, Karombo. There he found some 3,000
adults, one and aU drunk. He only came across one
Muhammedan, a young man from the coast named
Musa. His friend Juma vs^as among the drunken,
for which reason oiu" traveller does not reckon him
as a co-religionist. Painfully the old sinner dragged
himself to the barasa of his house to welcome his
deliverer. But the greeting came to an abrupt con-
clusion by Juma at once falling into a leaden sleep.

When his renegade friend had become sober next
morning, Tippoo Tib held a most categorical palaver
with the Sultan, which ended in his not only hand-
ing over all the goods he had stolen, biit giving him
ten tusks of ivory in addition as compensation.

Tippoo Tib's task was thus completed. Juma
Mericano, however, who had stiU various items of
business on hand, could not get away so quickly.
He begged his friend to go on alone for the present,
but first to exert all his influence that no hindrances
might be placed in the way of his departure
later on.

When this had also been satisfactorily arranged,
Tippoo Tib got under way. During his return
march he had opportunities for remarkable studies
in civilization. In almost every place he came
across people with ears and noses cut off. These

EUNGU KABAEE'S BOGIES 163

miitilations had been inflicted on them by Rungn
Kabare, a Sultan who had once held sway over
the whole of Urua. In order to give visible ex-
pression to his power he had, according to justice
or caprice, treated his subjects in this way. He
had held absolute sway far away to the east, and
would, Tippoo Tib thinks, have made even Ujiji
and Tabora unsafe, but that the great Lake Tan-
ganyika checked his advance.

In his expeditions he used his mutilated subjects
as bogies. He placed them in the foremost ranks,
and as soon as the enemy caught sight of the earless
and noseless promachi, they were so stricken with
panic that they promptly took to flight.

After Rungu Kabare's death, his son Kassongo
Rushie succeeded him ; but he was unable to main-
tain the power of his father. Many disputes arose
between the various descendants, which soon split
up the once powerful kingdom.

Tippoo Tib passed through the province of
Ngongo, who remained, as before, a loyal and freely-
paying subject of his master, back to Nyangwe. He
only stayed there a month, and then marched on
down-stream to the so-called Stanley Falls, where, as
their most easterly point d'appui, the International
Congo Company had meanwhile established a
fortified station.

It will not be out of place to give here a short
sketch of the events which led to the founding of
the independent Congo State.

In September, 1876, the King of the Belgians
summoned an ' International Conference to consider
the means for the systematic exploration of Africa,'

11—2

164 TIPPOO TIB

at Brussels. To this meeting the presidents of all
the larger geographical societies were invited, and
representatives of almost all the European States
attended it. The King, who opened the Conference
in person at his palace, proposed to form an Inter-
national Society for the Exploration and Civilization
of Central Africa. The proposal was received with
enthusiasm, and in connection with the Association
Internationale Africaine thus created, numerous
national committees were formed in the States
concerned, with the object of concentrating the
colonial aspirations of the various countries, and
advancing them in accordance with the principles
adopted by the International Union. The ideals
aimed at were scientific exploration on a harmonious
plan, the opening of ways of communication by
which trade and civilization might penetrate into
the interior, and the devising of means for the
suppression of slavery. For the carrying out of
these objects stations were as far as possible to
be founded, which were to make scientific obser-
vation of the tracts within their reach, and afford
hospitality to passing travellers.

The widespread interest which the Dark Con-
tinent had for some time excited developed into
general enthusiasm when, in August, 1877, Stanley
returned from his eventful crossing of Africa,
and related marvellous stories of the alleged
wealth of the tracts he had passed through. After
his unexampled success he seemed the right man
for the objects of the Association Internationale
Africaine.

After his attempt to exploit commercially the

ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONALE AFEICAINE 165

countries he had discovered with the help of English
capital had been wrecked by the backwardness
of the capitalists, who, not satisfied with brilliant
descriptions, demanded material guarantees, Stanley
in 1878 began negotiations in Brussels. These led
to the foundation, under the presidency of King
Leopold, of a Comite d'Etudes du Haut Congo,
under the auspices of which Stanley took charge
of a splendidly equipped espedition. The outfit,
which included a steamboat of 25 tons, four
launches, and a large number of boats and lighters,
was despatched by special steamer to the mouth
of the Congo, while Stanley himself proceeded to
Zanzibar to recruit the necessary men there.

On August 21, 1879, the expedition started up
the Congo ; but, as is often the case, the successful
explorer did not prove a skilful organizer. True, a
number of stations were established in the region
of the lower Congo, but all these undertakings
swallowed up great sums of money, and not the
slightest trace was to be found on the spot of the
stores of wealth which the country was said to
possess. Moreover, the ideal aims of the Association
Internationale, under whose banner the enterprise
had come into existence, were not furthered in any
visible way.

People at Brussels were already beginning to
get very impatient when Stanley succeeded once
more, by a personal sojourn in Belgium, in creating
a feeling in favour of his mission, and though aU
his very extensive demands were not acceded to,
yet very ample means were once more placed at his
disposal.

166 TIPPOO TIB

At the end of 1882 he returned to the Congo. Ideal
aspirations had ceased to produce any effect, and
commercial enterprises for the present promised no
result ; so, in order to have something to show the
wondering world, the preponderance was transferred
to political acquisitions. Rights of sovereignty were
acquired from the various chiefs, and the newly-
created stations sprang like mushrooms from the
soil. Forty of them were to be counted as far as the
Stanley Falls. Their establishment had, it is true,
cost £600,000, and after a short time all but a few
of them were given up.

In the middle of 1884 Stanley again returned to
Europe, and was replaced in the conduct of the
Belgian enterprises by the English Colonel Sir
Francis de Winton.

Soon afterwards the districts acquired in Central
Africa received their political status. They were
formed into the Congo Free State (Etat Ind^pen-
dant du Congo). King Leopold II., with the assent
of the Belgian Chambers, became the head of a new
political entity, which Avas solemnly proclaimed at
Bawana on July 13, 1885.

Shortly before the so-called Congo Conference had
sat at Berlin, and between November 15, 1884,
and February 26, 1885, had discussed general
ordinances regulating the freedom of trade in the
Congo basin and the surrounding districts, the
limitation of the slave trade, the neutrality of the
free trade sphere, navigation on the Congo and
Niger, as also the principles of future acquisitions
of territory in Africa.

The furthest station established by the Belgians

EXPEDITION TO THE AEUWIMI 167

was, as we have said, Stanley Falls, wliicli Tippoo
Tib now visited. From this point he sent ont
twenty large caravans to travel through the country,
which was already further opened up. Most of
these met with success, but the largest, under the
Arab Saliun bin Muhammed, was almost entirely
wiped out. It went up the Aruwimi River, and
there, while making itself at home in a deserted
township, was surprised by the inhabitants return-
ing by night, and was slaughtered and devoured
almost to a man. This disastrous adventure was,
as we shall see, to have a momentotis sequel in the
future history of our hero.

While Tippoo Tib remained in these districts,
which were daily falling more and more com-
pletely under Belgian rule, he received from Seyyid
Burghash letters urging him to use every means in
his power to keep the country under his influence.
Tippoo Tib replied that he himself was powerless
without weapons and ammunition ; if the Sultan
wished him to do his best for him, he must first
supply him with the necessary material. There-
upon Burghash called him back to talk over the
situation in Manyemaland with him in person.

CHAPTER XII

RETURN HOME

' Prophets right and prophets left,
The worldling in the middle.'

Goethe : Dinner at Coblenz.

Tippoo Tib quickly settled his outstanding affairs,
and started for Tanganyika with a fresh store of
ivory — 900 frasilas, as he says. On the way
messengers reached him from Rumalisa with no
very edifying news. There was war at Uvinza, and
Tippoo Tib's merchandise, which represented a
considerable capital, was in danger of being wholly
lost if he could not at once place a large body of
troops at Rumalisa's disposal. Acting on this
advice, our hero sent 500 warriors, armed with
guns, on ahead in aU haste, and followed himself
by forced marches. At Ujiji he found RtunaKsa,
to whom he gave further instructions for the con-
flict. Then he marched away to Tabora, reaching
the town of his fathers in September, 1886.

Here, too, in spite of the short time he had spent
beyond Tanganyika, he found many things changed,
to the disadvantage of his compatriots. If the
Belgians on the west had seriously curtailed the
Arab influence, on the east the Germans were

168

DR. PETER'S ACQUISITIONS 169

threatening more and more to force backwards the
Oriental sphere of power.

On April 3, 1884, the Society for German Coloniza-
tion had been founded at Berlin, and at the end
of the same year Dr. Peters had, under its orders,
started on his famous flag-hoisting journey, which
ended in the peaceful subjugation of the territories
of Useguha, Nguru, Usegara, and Ukami. On
February 27, 1885, the Emperor, William I.,
sanctioned the acquisition of the new districts by
the issue of a charter. On April 25 Sultan Burg-
hash was officially informed of the fact, and at once
raised a protest at Berlin by telegraph. He insisted
that the chiefs had had no right to alienate the
districts acquired by Germany, for these — -so ended
the very sharply worded protest — belonged to him
' since the days of his fathers.'

The claims of the Sultan were, naturally, not
acknowledged by the German Foreign Office. He
had certainly exercised no effective rights of
sovereignty over the ceded territories. It is suffi-
ciently demonstrated by what has gone before
that the Arabs who journeyed into the interior were
habitually regarded by the natives as enemies.
Almost everywhere our hero had to force a passage
or purchase it by heavy payments, regulated by the
caprice of the various chiefs. If the natives dealt
so with the subjects of the Sultan of Zanzibar, it
was quite plain that they did not fear his power,
still less acknowledge his sovereignty.

That the Sultan had small military posts here
and there can scarcely be taken into account.
They were like oases in the desert, and their influ-

170 TIPPOO TIB

ence did not extend beyond the range of their guns.
But even the few places where there were large
colonies of Arabs, with Valis appointed by the
Sultan, cannot be regarded as belonging to Zanzi-
bar. As the conflicts round Tabora teach us, such
Valis had no authority over the neighbouring
natives ; it only extended to the Arabs and people
of the coast who lived near them. They were, in
modern phraseology, Consiils of the Siiltan, invested
with jurisdiction to a certain extent, but with this
drawback — that their exequatur was only respected
by the local rulers as long as it brought them
advantage.

In order to break down the resistance of the
Sultan to the German acquisitions, a strong squadron
was sent in June to Zanzibar, and anchored
menacingly before his palace. On August 14
Seyyid Burghash recognised the cession of the
territories, and was clearly glad, in face of this
display of force by the German Empire, that his
whole country was not annexed. As a pendant to
these proceedings, negotiations were entered on
with England concerning the further development
of West African affairs. These resulted, on Novem-
ber 1, 1886, in the London Convention, which
formed the first international basis for Gernaan
colonial aspirations. The Sultan was acknowledged
as Suzerain over the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba
Lamu, and Mafia, and a belt on the coast ten
miles broad, from the Rovuma to Kipini. Ger-
many acceded to an agreement concluded between
England and France in 1882, by which the inde-
pendence of the Sultan was giiaranteed. In order

GEEMAN BAST AFEICAN COMPANY 171

to make accessible by sea the new acquisitions of
the colonizing association — which had meanwhile
been transformed into the German East African
Company — England promised its good offices to
induce the Sultan to lease to it the customs har-
bours of Dar-es-salaam and Pangani. The joint
use of the former had already been conceded to
the Company in September, 1885. In addition
to this, Germany and England agreed to delimit
shortly their respective spheres of influence in the
treaty districts. As a supplement to this treaty,
Burghash let himself be persuaded in 1887 to farm
the whole of the Customs on the coast to the
German Company. A formal treaty regulating the
details was signed in April, 1888, by his successor
and brother, Khalife.

The economic opening up of the East Coast
territories went hand-in-hand with their political
conquest. As long ago as the beginning of the
nineteenth century American whale-fishers had
come in contact with Zanzibar, and since 1830 the
American firm of John Bertram had been firmly
established there. It sent sailing vessels from time
to time to the Indian Ocean, and exchanged Western
clothing materials for coffee in Arabia, and for
ivory, rubber, and cloves in the East African capital.
Soon afterwards the Hamburg firm of O'Swald also
set up at Zanzibar. Till then the West Coast had
been its sphere of action, but in 1846 it sent a
ship to the East Coast to obtain the cowrie-shells,
which were current there as money. The favour-
able conditions of trade found to prevail there
encouraged the firm to establish a permanent settle-

172 TIPPOO TIB

ment. Near the Custom-house it acquired a piece
of land, on which it erected a house, which still
counts among the finest and most convenient build-
ings in the town. In 1859 the Hanse Towns estab-
lished at Zanzibar a Consulate, the management of
which was entrusted to the firm. After the consular
representation was taken over, first by the North
German Confederation and later by the German
Empire, the post was held by the head of the firm
for the time being till 1884, when a regular German
Consulate was created.

In the sixties an employ^ who was leaving the
firm of O'Swald founded a rival establishment
for the Hamburg house of Hansing and Co., while
in 1874 the great ivory firm of H. A. Meyer set up a
branch at Zanzibar. While the two first-named
carried on business on the spot, the professional
activity of the latter gradually necessitated getting
into touch with the interior. Countries really rich
in ivory were even then scarcely to be found on this
side of Tanganyika. The nearest good market was
at Tabora, where, beside the tusks of the elephants
killed in the country, much of the ivory obtained in
Manyema was to be bought. Thither the firm in
July and August sent two representatives, named
Harders and Toppen, amply supplied with merchan-
dise. They reached their destination at the end of
the year, and at once encountered the greatest
difl&culties. The Arabs, as a matter of course,
viewed with distrust the foreign element which
desired to intrude into their midst. While the
permanent society of the unbelievers was dis-
tasteful to them, the competition of the strangers

GEEMAN MEECHANTS AT TABOEA 173

was also to be dreaded. They worked with proper
and reliable means, paid cash, and might, if left
alone, end in attracting all the custom. Moreover,
they were in a position to observe many Arab tricks,
which, if reported on the coast, must create bad
blood there. That the throne of their Sultan at
Zanzibar no longer stood firm, and the accursed
Franks, with their ships of war, had lately made a
great display there, was not, of course, unknown to
the Tabora people, thanks to their busy intercourse
with the home country. Besides, of late so many
strangers were going about the country, of whom no
one knew rightly what they wanted. Formerly they
had only laughed at the crazy fellows in tattered
clothes who followed the courses of rivers of no
importance, or climbed high mountains without
getting any advantage thereby. But by degrees
it seemed as if there was some tangible support
behind these Westerners, and now that even the
powerful Sultan of Zanzibar began to be sub-
servient to them the matter was getting serious.
So prudence was advisable. Open violence is con-
trary to the Oriental character as long as other
means are at coramand. It is quite possible to
keep an amiable countenance and harass one's
enemies well at the same time. In East African
legal affairs da.ituri plays a great part : no Papal
dogma is so infallible ; and it is a part of dasturi,
and a leading one, to give presents everywhere.
Those who are unaware of this fact must be told of it.
So the Vali of Tabora, a man of noble birth,
named Zid bin Juma, of course took good care diily
to instruct the poor ignorant strangers. Leave

174 TIPPOO TIB

to settle in Tabora was not refused, but they
must make him presents for it ; the purchase of
ivory was allowed them, but in return they must
bestow on the representative of the Sultan under
whose protection they lived such a part of their
merchandise as seemed siiitable.

As a matter of course, too, they must show their
gratitude to the ruler of the country for the hospi-
tality afforded them. Mkasiva had died in the
meantime, and his son Sike reigned in his stead,
who, being of a covetous nature, liked to work hand-
in-hand with the Arabs to extort as much as
possible from the strangers. Thus in six weeks
goods to the value of some 7,000 marks were
wheedled out of the new-comers with an affable
smile, or in case of refusal with alarming threats.
If the Vali wanted anything he made the needs of
the Sultan his excuse, while the Sultan in turn
sheltered himself behind the Vali when he was in an
acquisitive humour.

As, owing to these one-sided proofs of friendship,
but little business could be done for the firm,
in March, 1886, Toppen started for the coast to
seek the intervention of the German Consulate-
General in getting the Sultan to alter the dasturi
practised by his subjects ; but he fell ill from
sunstroke, and so his arrival at Zanzibar was delayed.
But as previous complaints as to the oppression of
the agents at Tabora had already reached him, the
Sultan indited various letters of advice to the Vali
and Sike. These were despatched by a new repre-
sentative of the firm, Giesecke, who was sent to
Tabora in the early part of 1886. On the way he

OPPEESSION OF GBEMAN TEADERS 175

received the sad news that Harders had died of
fever. A French traveller, Revoil, had been with
him at the time of his death, and had meant to hold
out in Tabora until a fresh agent of the firm
appeared, to whom he might hand over the stock,
of which he had taken charge in the meantime.
His health forced him, however, to leave before this.
He made out in the presence of witnesses a careful
inventory of the Meyers' property, which was after-
wards delivered to Giesecke. The goods intended
for exchange proved to be intact, but it was found
that forty tusks, of a value of some 14,000 marks,
had been abstracted. The Arab Mtihammed bin
Kasum was subsequently unmasked as the perpe-
trator of the theft. He had undermined the
approach to the Meyers' temhe, and carried ofE the
ivory through the opening. This is a favourite
method of burglary in East Africa.

The Sultan's letters of advice were of very little
use — ^in fact, Sike, emboldened by the attitude of the
Arabs, continued his attempts at extortion more
shamelessly than ever. Even the permission to
bury the deceased Harders in Taboran soil had to be
bought by Giesecke at the cost of some 300 marks.

In addition to all this chicanery, on May 27, soon
after his arrival, an attempt was made on Giesecke's
life. While he was sitting in his room one evening
he was fired at through the window, and the large
slugs with which the gun was loaded struck the
wall a short distance from his head.

The firm, in consequence, determined to give up
the settlement at Tabora ; but while they were
debating as to the most advantageous way of

176 TIPPOO TIB

conveying the existing stock to the coast a
second miirderons attack on Giesecke was perpe-
trated, which, cost him his life. At the time when
this happened Tippoo Tib had just reached Tabora,
and from this moment we can again follow his
memoranda at first hand.

He begins by recording how Giesecke told him
of his trouble as to the intrigues of the Arabs, the
purloining of the ivory, and the first attempt on
himself. He personally examined the place where
the slugs had entered the wall, and on measuring
found that the space between their marks and the
place where Giesecke had sat was only an inch.
Tippoo Tib urged Giesecke to make the journey to
the coast under his protection, and the offer was
gratefully accepted.

He then narrates that he met yet another
European at Tabora, who had passed through
Khartum to Wadelai, seen Emin Pasha, and then
proceeded to Uganda. This was the Russian Dr.
Junker. This well-known traveller, born at
Moscow in 1840, had already made two expeditions
to the Southern Nile regions, in 1873 and 1876, and
since 1879 had been engaged in exploring the
sources of that river. He had, as Tippoo Tib quite
correctly states, come across the well-known Emin
Bey at Lado. Owing to the Mahdist rising, of
which we shall have to speak again later on, his
return by the northern route had been cut off. His
brother, who lived in Russia and feared for his life,
had sent out an expedition to his rehef in 1884
under the German traveller Dr. Fischer. But he
had to turn back without effecting his purpose.

JUNKEE 177

owing to the hostile action of King Mwanga of
Uganda. Junker, however, succeeded in forcing
his way for himself. Early in 1886 he started from
Wadelai, and in the beginning of September of that
year reached Unyanyembe. He took up his
residence at the English mission-station of Ujui, not
far from Tabora. Here he learnt that Tippoo Tib
would arrive in a few days and continue his march
to the coast without stopping. He naturally wished,
in view of the prevailing insecurity, to seize the
opportunity to continue his joiirney under the
protection of the powerful caravan leader.

To be sure, he had to pay dearly for this honour.
From diaries left behind by Giesecke we learn
that Junker paid Tippoo Tib for carriers supplied
by him the sum of 1,500 dollars. The usual tariff
for a carrier from Tabora to the coast was at that
time from 10 to 12 doUars, or at most 18 dollars,
a total in round numbers of 700 dollars. The
excess of 800 dollars was agreed on as a sort of life
insurance, payable on the safe delivery of Junker at
Zanzibar.

Tippoo Tib did not wish to stay longer than
necessary at Tabora, and so it was agreed to make
ready for departure with all speed, and start at the
end of September. In the interval the travellers
pitched their camp in Ituru, the quarter where their
protectors lived. There, in the night of the 27th,
the fatal attempt on the unfortunate Giesecke was
made. As Junker sat reading in his tent towards
eleven in the evening he was suddenly startled by
shots close at hand. At the same moment he heard
pitiful calls for help from Giesecke's tent, only

12

178 TIPPOO TIB

twenty paces away. Hastening thither at once, lie
found the young merchant mortally wounded. He
remained all night with him, while Tippoo Tib, who
had speedily come to the scene at the news of the
disaster, sent messengers to the Catholic mission-
station at Kiparapara to beg for further assistance.
Then the Arab chief, wounded to the quick by
this treacheroiis attack in his own camp, pro-
ceeded straight to Tabora to call the Vali Zib bin
Juma to account for the breach of the peace. As to
what followed we had best listen to his own
descriptions.

He said to the Vali Zid : ' " You have, without any
cause, wrought my destruction. It is not the
European you have injured, but me." But Zid bin
Juma said : " No one but Muhammed bin Kasum
can have shot him. Just now in the night I heard
shots. They must have come back then." Next
morning Zid sent messengers out to call all the
Arabs together and likewise informed the Sultan.
Thereupon the same morning came messengers
from Sike, who sent his servant Sungui-a and a
message that he knew nothing about it. Yet
he was in the same boat with Muhammed bin
Kasum. Many Arabs also came, and Muhammed
bin Kasum among them. Suddenly an Englishman
also appeared who was at Urambo.

' A great examination was set on foot and the
Arabs said : " We know nothing of the matter."
Then up jumped Sleman bin Zahir el Gabiri, and
said in the presence of Muhammed : " No one can
have shot the European but Muhammed bin Kasum.
He is a great robber!" Then Muhammed grew

MOEDEE OF GIBSECKE 179

alarmed and said : "I stole the ivory — that is true,
but I did not fire at the European. Should I kill a
man who travels with Hamed bin Muhanuned ? I
would never do such a thing." Sleman said : "It
was you and no one else. If you bid us, Hamed bin
Muhammed, we will put him in chains and give him
to you, that you may take him to the coast." I
said to them : "Do you people of Tabora yourselves
take him prisoner."

' Thereupon the Englishman who came from
Urambo said to me : " Let us go and see to Mr.
Giesecke." So we went and came to Ituru, where
we found Dr. Jimker. He said to us : " The mis-
sionaries have taken Giesecke with them." We lay
down to sleep, and next morning I went with Junker
and the Englishman to the missionaries, where we
found Giesecke. He was sick and caUed me and
said : "I am sick — God knows it. The ivory that I
have has brought me to ruin ; if you leave me in
the lurch it will all be lost. I beg of you, take it
and give it to my friends on the coast. Say what
you want for doing so." I answered him : "I want
nothing for it, but tell these Europeans — the French-
men, the Englishman, and Junker — to count the
tusks, then I will take them with me." Then he
said to me : " Leave me eight men here to look
after me." Then I went back with the Eiiropeans
to Ituru, where they counted the ivory. When we
had finished the counting the missionaries went
home, and the Englishman asked me for guides to
Tabora. Two days later we set out and reached
the coast near Bagamoyo.'

Poor Giesecke received the tenderest care among

12—2

180 TIPPOO TIB

the White Fathers, but nevertheless succumbed to
his wounds on October 3. His murderer, Muhammed
bin Kasam, thanks to the disturbed state of affairs,
long evaded the arm of justice, but at last ventured
to visit the coast, and was condemned to death
by a court-martial on June 16, 1890. On the 25th
of the same month he was hanged.

The rest of the ivory belonging to the firm of
H. A. Meyer was conscientiously delivered by
Tippoo Tib at Zanzibar. Their other claims for
compensation, which amounted to 80,000 marks in
round numbers, were only partially satisfied, in spite
of repeated representations to Seyyid Burghash and
his successor. Khalifa. A shamhe belonging to the
murderer was confiscated for their benefit and sold
for 1,900 dollars, also a quantity of ivory belonging
to his accomplice, Zid bin Juma, which produced
some 2,000 marks, was seized on the coast.

Dr. Junker reached Zanzibar under Tippoo Tib's
guidance. He proceeded to Europe and recorded
the experiences and knowledge acquired on his
long voyages in various articles which appeared in
' Petermann's Mitteilungen,' and a larger work,
'Reisen in Afrika, 1875-1886.' He died at St.
Petersburg in 1892.

When Tippoo Tib reached the coast at Bagamoyo,
he found a letter from the Sultan sununoning him
to come to him at once. He immediately obeyed,
and as soon as he reached Zanzibar was received by
Seyyid Burghash. He had much to tell the Sultan
about his last journey, and the latter learned with
sorrow how from the West also the Europeans were
pressing ever closer upon the old bulwarks of the

PESSIMISM OF THE SULTAN 181

Arabs on the mainland. The reports of so ex-
perienced a traveller convinced him that his part in
the interior of Africa would ere long be played ont.
In two voyages to Europe this clear-sighted Prince
had learned fi-om personal observation the power of
the West, and had of late been forced to realize in
his own country how weak his Oriental despotism
was compared with the armaments of Germany and
England. He had no further aspiration than to
retain at least the remainder of his kingdom — the
island of Zanzibar itself — and he closed his inter-
view with his subject, who had travelled so far and
saw through matters with the same hopeless perspi-
cacity, with these mournful words : ' Then he said
to me: "Hamed, be not angry with me; I want
to have no more to do with the mainland. The
Europeans want to take Zanzibar here from me :
how should I be able to keep the mainland ? Happy
are those who did not live to see the present state
of affairs. You are a stranger here still, but you
will see how things are going here." '

And Tippoo Tib adds with resignation : ' When
I heard these words I knew that it was all up
with us.'

CHAPTER XIII

THE FIGHTING ROUND STANLEY FALLS

' Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.'

Horace.

Two months after his arrival at Zanzibar Tippoo
Tib learned that soon after his departure from
Stanley Falls a violent conflict had broken out
between the Arabs and Europeans, ending in the
flight of the latter and the destruction of the station.
The autobiographer says nothing as to the details of
these events, and they might quite properly be left
out here, as he himself was not present ; but the way
in which the hostile parties rush at each other and
the long accumulated store of explosive material
breaks into flame at a touch is so characteristic,
the devotion even to death of the slender body of
Europeans so admirable, that it may be worth while
to insert here the narrative of an eye-witness, who
seems qualified beyond all others to give an account
of this deplorable episode.

Deane, then the head of the station, who, as the
only surviving European, defended it to the last
charge of powder, and only by a miracle escaped
the fury of his Arab pursuers, shortly before his
death gave Herbert Ward, a traveller whom we shall

182

DEANE'S STORY 183

meet again in tlie career of our hero, a description
of his sufferings, which the latter thus reproduces
in his ' Five Years with the Congo Cannibals '
(Part II., chap, xi.) :

' You know how I was ordered to Stanley Falls
last year (1885) by the Colonel (Sir Francis de
Winton, the Administrator-General of the Congo
State) to take over command and endeavour to keep
the Arabs in order and protect the natives from their
exactions, so that the authority of the State might be
established and fully recognised by them. Well,
you remember how I got wounded in the leg by
a spear-thrust when the Monungeri savages attacked
us on the first journey up to the Falls, and how
I had to return to Stanley Pool to recover from the
effects of the wound, for we found that the spear
had been poisoned. I lay iU a long while, and it
was only in January that I was able to return to the
Falls.

' You remember — for I showed you my instructions
— how I was promised a plentiful supply of ammuni-
tion and rifles and reinforcements of men when the
river steamer Le Stanley made its next trip up to the
Falls, which would be in August. Well, upon my
arrival I found things in a very bad condition : the
Arabs had the entire upper hand and bullied the
natives just as they pleased ; yet I could do nothing
to prevent them, for it was too far off the time of my
expected reinforcements to provoke a conflict.

' Tippoo Tib had gone back to Zanzibar, and had
left his partner, Bwana Nzige, in charge of his
people, and Nzige's son, Rashid bin Muhammed
bin Said, also had much to say in the management

184 TIPPOO TIB

of affairs during Tippoo Tib's absence. I soon saw
that these fellows did not like me or my ways at all,
and that I should not get them to conform to my
orders without a row. I had thirty-two Haussas,
under Sergeant-Major Musa Kanu, a fine, tall fellow,
and also about forty Bangala, whom I had brought
up with me in Le Stanley, and I set to work to
fortify the station, clear away the grass and scrub
around it in case of a surprise, and to be able to
keep an eye on the Arabs over on the mainland.

* It is necessary to observe that the State station
of Stanley Falls was built on an island in the Congo
just below the seventh cataract, while the Arabs
were mostly on the mainland, although a few lived
in a village on the same island among the natives.

' Well, the time went on, and a worse feeling sprang
up between the Arabs and me, owing to my attempts
to protect the natives from their robberies. One
day, about the middle of July (1886), a woman
entered the camp seeking protection and saying
that the Arabs had flogged her. Her story was that
she had been given to Tippoo Tib as a pledge
of friendship by her father, but that, being of
the Wachongera Meno tribe {i.e., of " the filed
teeth " tribes, who are usually cannibals), Tippoo
Tib did not care for her, and had given her to
one of his most influential Arab head-men. This
Arab ill-treated her, she said, and so she had fled to
us for protection. I coiild not discover any traces
of ill-treatment — there were no marks on her skin —
and I told her she must return to her Arab husband,
as I had no right to interfere unless she were being
cruelly used, and I had her conducted back to the

AEAB CEUELTY TO A WOMAN 185

Arab village. After a few days she came into the
station again, with her back cut Avith lashes from a
whip and her body covered with bruises, telling us
that she had been terribly flogged, and that, had
she not escaped, her master would have killed her.
This time there was no doubt her story was true.
She was a pitiable-looking object, and I deter-
mined nothing should induce me to give her up
again to the cruelty and brutality of the Arabs. It
was not long before Bwana Nzige, with his son
Rashid and all the principal Arabs, came over to me
and demanded the woman's release. I replied that
I should not think of letting her be taken away
again to suffer their brutal violence, and that I was
sent to the country to prevent such acts, and that, as
the representative of the Congo Free State, I intended
to do my duty. As the woman represented a certain
value to them, I was quite prepared to pay, on behalf
of the Government, whatever they should demand
in reason as ransom. They sullenly declined this
offer and persistently demanded the release of the
woman, saying that I should regret my refusal.
Then I knew that the storm which had been so long
brewing was going to break. However, we were
well armed, my Haussas were plucky, and the
fortifications I had constructed protected us well,
and I considered that, with the aid of my two Krupp
guns, we could keep the Arabs at a respectful dis-
tance, and in a few days — for it was the month of
August — I hoped to see Le Stanley arrive with rein-
forcements and ammunition and a white officer or
two, for I was alone, as you know.

' The Arabs made no direct attack upon us,

186 TIPPOO TIB

although large numbers of their Manyemas continued
to assemble on the mainland. At last Le Stanley
was signalled early one morning coming up the
river, and I was indeed dehghted, for I expected she
would have on board the much-needed ammunition
and reinforcements. But imagine my disgust when,
on getting to the landing-place, I found she had
not brought me a single cartridge of the promised
10,000, not a rifle, and not a man, save only
Lieutenant Dubois, of the Belgian Lancers. He
turned out to be a splendid fellow ; but still I
needed the other things, or my fight was hopeless.

' Well, when Le Stanley arrived the Arabs came
to the conclusion that I should prove too strong for
them with my supposed reinforcements, so they sent
in a deputation to intimate that hostilities were at
an end, and that they desired to remain in friendly
relations with the white man who represented the
Congo Free State. I agreed to this, and we parted
seemingly good friends, and shortly afterwards I
even went so far as to visit one of their villages at
the upper end of the island, and there found, to my
chagrin, some of the Zanzibar crew of Le Stanley
chatting with their compatriots among the Arabs,
and telling them of my disappointment, and how the
steamer had brought me none of the expected aid.

' The next day Le Stanley left, and Dubois was
busy arranging his quarters while I glanced
through the piles of newspapers that my considerate
friends on the Lower Congo had sent up to me.
Towards evening I was told by a friendly native
that the Arabs intended attacking the station the
following morning, for he had overheard their

ATTACK BY THE ARABS 187

plans. We kept strict watch during the night,
but could distinguish nothing, until at dawn we
found sure enough a large body of Manyemas had
crossed from the mainland in the night and en-
trenched themselves on my island, about 800 yards
from the stockade. As soon as it was light we
received a practical proof of their hostility, for
they fired upon us. We kept up a lively fire upon
them with our Snyder and Martini rifles for two
days ; but they were well sheltered by their rough
earthworks, and there were no serious losses on
either side.

' Our men kept up a tremendous fusillade when-
ever the Arabs made any signs of attacking, and
on the evening of the third day Dubois sallied out
of the stockade and penetrated into the Arab Knes,
capturing a Manyema drum, which they left in their
flight. It was hot work, and he got his revolver-
pouch shot off his hip. That night they remained
quiet, but in the morning fresh earth-heaps were
found thrown up nearer our entrenchments, and
the fight recommenced. Our ammunition was now
beginning to fail, and so Ave could not waste so
many shots, and the Arabs took advantage of this
to make two or three rushes right up to our posi-
tion ; but we drove them back each time, and I
worked the Krupp guns so hard that blood came
from my ears, and I knocked the end off my little
finger by getting it jammed in the breach. My
boys — Jack (poor httle Jack from Manyanga,
down there in the valley), and the two Aruwimi
youngsters — behaved splendidly, bringing ammuni-
tion to us, and making tea and carrying the cups

188 TIPPOO TIB

up to us right across the Arab line of fire. Dubois
charged out again, and drove them back, and then
darkness set in and stopped the fight for the night.
The Bangala deserted that night, taking some
native canoes and making off down the river, to
try and reach Bangala, which, you know, is a 500
miles' journey.

' In the morning the fight started again. We
could now do little but work the Krupp guns, as
the little rifle ammunition we had left was almost
entirely bad.

' We got cap-gTins and old trade flint-locks out
of the store, and gave them to the Haussas to fire ;
but seven of these poor chaps were already dead, and
the rest, save Musa Kanu and three men, came to
me that evening and said they must go. It was no
use fighting when they were bound to fall into the
hands of the Arabs. I threatened to shoot them as
deserters, and they rephed :

' " Very well, master, you shoot iis. We would
rather you shoot us than have our throats cut by
the Arabs."

' And as soon as darkness set in they made off
to the canoes and drifted down river after the
Bangala.

' Dubois and I were now left with only four
Haussas and Samba, a native of the Aruwimi, who
had been freed by the State, and worked faithfully
with me during all my stay at the Falls ; and
despairingly we determined to destroy that night
all that we could of the stores remaining, to spike
the guns and blow up the station, and make off
into the woods, to hide until relief should come

THE STATION GIVEN UP 189

from Bangala, where we reckoned the fugitive
Bangalas would arrive by a certain date, and
Coquilhat woixld hurry up in the steamer Associa-
tion Internationale Africaine to our relief. We
sprinkled the stores with oil, piled up the cart-
ridges, spiked the Krupps, and gathered aU the
loose gunpowder together, and, having set a train
to this outside the station, we two, with Musa Kanu
and his three faithful Haussas and Samba, who
refused to budge without us, made off under cover
of the darkness to gain the north shore, and seek
shelter in the woods there.

' I was the last to leave the place, and I set fire to
the train of powder and made after the rest.

' The night was pitch dark, and the station
was blazing brightly behind us, but somehow the
powder had not exploded. We knew the Arabs
must have discovered our flight by this time, so we
hurried along to cross over to the mainland. We
had to wade through an arm of the Congo — a rush-
ing torrent of water, about 50 yards wide and
generally at that season only waist-deep. Dubois
slipped on the rocks, and was swept down into
deeper water. I knew he could not swim, so I at
once jumped in after him, and managed to catch
hold of him before he was carried away by the
swift current. We were just able to reach the
steep rocky bank, and, exhausted, I told Dubois
to hold on to the edge of a jutting rock, while the
Haussas, having safely passed over, came to our
assistance along the top of the bank. Musa Kanu
undid his belt and gun-strap, tied them together,
and lowered them to me ; but when I turned where

190 TIPPOO TIB

Dubois had been, saying, " Catch hold here !" I
could see nothing of him. There was no Dubois.

' By the light of the burning station, where the
cartridges and gunpowder had now commenced to
explode, illuminating vividly for a moment the
surrounding scene, I searched the water for any
signs of Dubois ; but alas, poor fellow ! he had
become numbed in the water, or his heavy boots
pulled him down, and he had been swept away by
the current. It was the last I ever saw of him, and
my grief and misery were so great at the loss of nay
only friend away up here, after all the pluck he had
shown during the four days' fighting at the station,
that I wept, while the Haussas, after pulling me up,
cried too.

' We were indeed a wretched lot. My clothes had
been burnt off me and torn in the fight. I had only
an old blanket round me and a shirt on, but no
boots ; and sadly, and feehng that I didn't care if
the Arabs should find me and end the wretchedness
at once, I crept away into the forest.'

There he remained for thirty days, often on the
verge of starvation, and himted by the Arabs from
one hiding-place to another, till at last the steamer
Association Internationale Africaine from Bangala
brought him deliverance. After all, a long life was
not in store for him. When he had restored his
shattered health in England, he returned to the
Congo State, and met his death in an elephant hunt
in the forests of the Lukolela. His station remained
for the time in the hands of the Arabs, till the
events occurred which we shall describe in the next
chapter.

CHAPTER XIV

THE EMIN PASHA EXPEDITION

• Nihil est quod noscere malim
Quam fluvii causas per saecula tanta latentes,
Ignotumque caput, spes sit mihi certa videndi
Niliacos fontes.'

LucAN : Pharsalia.

Mention has been made in a previous chapter of
the Egyptian general Emin Pasha. Such is the
name under which in the eighties of last century
Edmund Schnitzer, a German savant, became
known to the whole civilized world. He was bom,
in 1840, at Oppeln, of Jewish parents, afterwards
became a convert to Christianity, and studied
medicine and science at Breslau. In 1865 he
became port physician at Antivari, in Albania, and
from 1873 on raade lengthy journeys in Armenia,
Syria, and Arabia in the suite of a Turkish dig-
nitary. In 1876 he entered the Egyptian service
as Emin Effendi, and was there attached to the
staff of Governor-General Gordon. With him he
travelled about Khartum and Uganda. In 1879 he
was promoted to be Bey, and appointed Governor
of the Equatorial Province. Here he found the
chance of bringing his great administrative talents

191

192 TIPPOO TIB

into play. His district, till then the scene of
devastating slave-raids, soon recovered its pros-
perity imder his rule. He established new stations,
which made the country secure, and constructed an
extensive network of roads. By the introduction of
new cereals he forwarded agriculture, while cattle-
breeding, which had been much neglected during
years of fighting, soon attained its old importance,
thanks to the peaceful progress of the country. In
addition, Emin rendered great services to know-
ledge in the most various fields. As a geographer,
he explored the still little known country round
Lake Victoria. An exceptionally gifted linguist,
he diligently studied the languages of the districts
he passed through, and he benefited natural science
by rich ornithological collections.

While he was thus engaged in the peaceful work
of civilization in the heart of Africa, bloody conflicts
were taking place in the North of Egypt. The
growing influence of England and France on the
government of the country had for years been
awaking a feeling of hostility to foreigners. In
June, 1882, a revolt broke out in Alexandria, insti-
gated by the former War Minister, Arabi, in which
many Europeans fell victims. The city was in
consequence bombarded by the British Admiral
Seymour on July 11 and 12 ; but the only result
of this step was that the fury of the populace against
the foreigners was augmented. True, the English
managed, on September 13, to defeat Arabi at Tel-
el-Kebir and take him prisoner, and bring the
Khedive, who had fled on the outbreak of the
revolt, back to Cairo ; but it was only a seeming

THE MAHDI 193

peace which had been imposed. Already the
national Islamic movement had found a new leader
in Muhammed Ahmed, the Mahdi, who, under the
pretext of a Divine mission, incited religious
fanaticism and political discontent to take arms
against the helpless central authority. Several
brilliant victories which he gained over consider-
able armies commanded by English generals soon
made him master of the whole of the Sudan, which
intruded itself like a huge wedge between the seat
of the Egyptian Government and Emin's district.
After April 14, 1883, the latter found himself cut
off from all communication with North Egypt."
Even in his own province the situation was begin-
ning to be critical. The Mahdists, pressing further
and further forward, tried to incite his subjects to
join their movement, and in May, 1884, one of his
higher officials, Ibrahim Aga, formally repudiated
his authority. When, in addition, in 1 885, a famine

* Since 1883 there had been in Emin's neighbourhood and
under his protection two European travellers, who had escaped
from the neighbouring countries, Dr. Junker, already men-
tioned, and Gaetano Casati, an Italian ex-officer, who since
1880 had been exploring for the Societsb d'Bsploracione Com-
merciale in Bahr el Ghazal and the Mombuttu countries.
Both fugitives shared for three years the cares and perils to
which Emin was exposed in his forlorn post, and repaid the
hospitality shown them by much active support. Early in
1886 Junker, as we have seen, departed via Unyamwezi to
the coast, while Casati proceeded in May of the same year to
negotiate with King Kabarega, but was treated there more as
a prisoner than as a guest, and in the end actually condemned
to death. On the approach of Stanley he was set at liberty,
and in 1889 went on with him and Emin to the East
Coast.

13

194 TIPPOO TIB

broke out in the north, of Ms territory, between
Lado and Dufile, Emin found himself compelled to
withdraw further to the southward. He went up
the Nile to Wadelai, which he reached on July 10,
and which became for the future the seat of his
government.

Early in 1886 Emin received from Cairo the
official announcement that the whole Sudan was
abandoned. It was left to his own discretion to
remain or go. Emin for some time entertained the
idea of marching to the East Coast, but his troops
refused to foUow him. Besides, the plan would
have been wrecked by the hostility of King Mwanga,
of Uganda, who, as wiU be remembered, had about
the same time refused a passage through his terri-
tories to Fischer, who was marching to Emin's
relief.

While Emin thus clung to his post, cut o£E from
all the world, a committee for his relief was forming
under the presidency of Sir William Mackinnon,
Bart. The subscriptions, to which the Egyptian
Government contributed £10,000, quickly reached
the total of £21,500. With this sum an expedition
was to be sent to try and get through to the Pasha
and release him from his dangerous position. The
American Stanley, then at the zenith of his fame,
was fixed on as the leader of the enterprise. After
carefully weighing the possible routes, four in all,
which came under consideration, he decided to
advance from the mouth of the Congo to the Albert
Nyanza, near which Emin must be located. By
this river, which has the most abundant flow of
water in Africa, one could go by steamer, with

STANLEY'S PLANS 195

few slight interruptions, caused by the well-known
cataracts, as far as the mouth, of the Aruwimi, and
then follow that stream up to Yambuya. After that
there were about 400 miles to march, throiigh
districts which, it is true, were totally unknown,
and probably covered with the densest forest ; but
Stanley had ere now overcome so many difficulties
that such prospects could not daunt him. King
Leopold not only gave a ready assent to the
expedition traversing the Congo State, but placed
at their disposal the Free State's entire supply of
boats for the voyage up the Congo.

But there was a serious objection to this route —
viz., the probable attitude of the Arabs. After the
conflicts described in the last chapter, it was to be
feared that they would treat any European passing
throiigh as an enemy. But Stanley had a brilliant
idea for coping with this contingency too. He
determined on nothing less than obtaining the
co-operation in his enterprise of the leader of those
very Arabs — our hero, Tippoo Tib.

From Egypt, where he had been negotiating with
the Government, Stanley proceeded, early in 1887,
to Zanzibar. He arrived there in February, and
foiuid everything in good order for a start. The
firm of Smith, Mackenzie and Co. had engaged
carriers for him, provided the necessary goods, and
got ready the steamer Madura, which was to carry
the expedition round the Cape to the Congo. His
first care at Zanzibar was to come to an under-
standing with Tippoo Tib. The negotiations were
carried on at the British Consulate-General. The
entry of our hero seems to have been most dramatic.

13—2

196 TIPPOO TIB

His adherents had sent him from Stanley Falls three
Krupp shells, which he had had carried after him.
Pointing to them, he said to Stanley that such were
the presents he had to expect from Europeans.
Stanley earnestly urged him to let bygones be
bygones. Those conflicts had been brought about
through the unfortunate misunderstandings of
young people, and both sides had paid dearly for
their hot-headedness. The King of the Belgians, at
any rate, desired peace with the Arabs, and as a
proof of it offered him, Tippoo Tib, the post of
Governor in the province wrested from the Congo
State by the Arab bands.

The King had, in fact, given his consent by
telegraph to this proposal, but the idea originated
with Stanley, and does all honour to his political
sagacity. There was no simpler way of check-
mating his opponents than by making their leader
his friend. And Stanley saw through his man
clearly enough to be certain that his offer would
not be rejected. Tippoo Tib soon recovered his
Oriental repose in face of the propitiatory attitude
of Stanley, and received his surprising proposal
with his own peculiar blink, a sign with him of
quick understanding. After the conditions had
been conveyed to him in detail, he gave his consent.
He was engaged at a monthly salary of £30, for
which he was to pledge himself to hoist the Belgian
flag and restrain his fellow-tribesmen from slave-
hunting and other marauding. A European olflcial
was attached to him, who was to make regular reports
to the King of the Belgians, and whose duty it
was, besides, though nothing was said about this to

TIPPOO TIB'S DUTIES 197

Tippoo Tib, to keep a watcli on his supposed
superior.

Such was the political side of the treaty, which
had to be settled in order to afford a basis for the
second, the commercial one, which was much more
important to Stanley's present enterprise. Through
all his scientific and political undertakings he had
always remained a good man of business, and as
such let it be known that Emin was presumably in
possession of some 75 tons of ivory, which at a low
compntation represented a value of about £10,000.
Tippoo Tib was to provide the carriers necessary to
convey this ivory to the coast, and thus cover most
of the cost of the expedition. These were further
to serve the purpose of conveying the ammunition
intended for Emin's relief from the Congo to the
Albert Nyanza.

The two high contracting parties, after long-
haggling, agreed that Tippoo Tib should furnish
600 carriers, for whom he was to get £6 per head
for the journey from Stanley Falls to the lake and
back. Stanley, on his part, pledged himself to
secure Tippoo Tib and ninety-six followers free
passage to the Congo, including provisions, and to
conduct the caravan from there on to Stanley Falls.

After a farewell visit to the Sultan, productive of
many presents to both travellers, the Madura put to
sea on February 25, 1887. At Cape Town, where
they put in, Tippoo Tib had for the first time an
opportunity of making acquaintance with a European
town. The impression was, according to Stanley,
so tremendous that he declared he was now begin-
ning to admire Europeans. So far he had regarded

198 TIPPOO TIB

them all as more or less fools, but now he realized that
they were far superior to the Arabs. To Stanley's
proposal that he should come with him some day to
London, and there make acquaintance with the
Europeans and their works at the fountain-head, he
answered, like a good Moslem, with the pious words,
' In sha Allah ' (if God wills), ' I shall go there.'
And there it has been left until to-day. His means
would have long since allowed of his making a
voyage to ' Ulaia,'* but, notwithstanding all the
offers made him, he has never got further than
being ready to go. Allah has not yet wiUed it.

On March 18 the Madura reached the mouth of
the Congo. The prospects of the voyage up the
river were very unfavourable, as the steamers ex-
pected were not available. At length they suc-
ceeded in chartering some craft, which next day
conveyed the expedition to Matadi, a spot 110
miles from the mouth. From there, owing to the
rapids, they had to march on foot. In a dis-
contented mood, due mainly to disputes between
the various tribes composing the caravan, they pro-
ceeded on March 21 towards Leopoldville, which
was reached on April 21. Here the difficulties as
to procuring steamers were repeated, but at last
they succeeded in shipping the whole expedition.
But the vessels proved so defective that on May 12,
at Bolobo, it became necessary to divide the caravan
into two parts. The advance column, consisting of
the healthiest men, under Stanley's personal leader-
ship, was to sail up the Congo and Aruwimi as

* ' Ulaia,' from the Arabic ' Vilaje,' is the Swahili expression
for Europe.

STANLEY'S EUEOPEAN PERSONNEL 199

far as Yambuya, and from tliere, as speed was
necessary, at once to take the land route eastwards
to the Albert Nyanza. As soon as they were dis-
embarked, the fastest of the steamers was to turn back
and pick up the rear column at Bolobo. According
to Stanley's reckoning, they also could reach Yam-
buya within six weeks, and there they were to take
over the loads left behind, which were to be con-
veyed by the carriers Tippoo Tib was to supply,
and follow the advance column as quickly as
possible.

This division of the expedition into two parts
was the prelude to very tragic events, which ended
in the almost total loss of the rear column.

Attached to it were five Englishmen : (1) Major
Barttelot, ' a generous, frank, and chivalrous young
officer, distinguished in Afghanistan and on the
Sudanese Nile for pluck and performance of duty'* ;
(2) his friend, a young civilian named Jameson, a
gentleman of wealth with a passion for natural history
studies, whose alacrity, capacity, and willingness to
work were reported to be ' unbounded ' ; (3) Herbert
Ward, mentioned in the previous chapter, who had
long worked in Borneo, New Zealand, and the
Congo country, and was spoken of as bright, intelli-
gent, and capable ; (4) John Rose Troup, who had
proved himself ' an industrious and zealous officer '
under Stanley in the Congo State ; and (5) William
Bonny, who had seen service in the Zulu and Nile
campaigns, and was reputed ' a staid and observing
man.'

The first-named was in all respects marked out
* Cf. ' In Darkest Africa,' vol. i., pp. 471-473.

200 TIPPOO TIB

for the chief command, a post for which, in Stanley's
judgment, he was thoroughly suited. Jameson was
to be second to him, and to take his place in case
he was incapacitated.

On June 16 Stanley arrived at Yambuya, Barttelot
having parted with him on the way to escort Tippoo
Tib in a special steamer to his old station. The
latter reports as follows :

'At last we came to the River Usoko, which
higher up is called Matiire. Stanley turned aside
with all his boats towards the places where many
of my men had been killed when they were march-
ing with Salimi bin Muhammed. His caravan now
proceeded by that river with the steamboats. They
gave the Major and me a boat to bring us to Stanley
Falls. So we came to that place. And I had asked
Stanley for powder, so that I might arm the 500
men whom I was to provide, if I could get them ;
but he said : "I cannot spare you any of the
powder I have, but buy some there at Stanley
Falls." I had also got Belgian flags, which I was
to hoist everywhere in the districts which I ruled.
I hoisted one at Stanley Falls when I arrived, and
there on the Usoko my men hoisted the flag where-
ever they came. At Stanley Falls I ran it up on a
mast. The Major departed, and we took leave of
each other.'

On June 25 Barttelot reached Yambuya, and on
the 28th Stanley began his rapid advance to the
Albert Nyanza. Before leaving he delivered to
the commander of the rearguard the following in-
structions :*

* ' In Darkest Africa,' vol. i., p. 114.

STANLEY'S INSTEUCTIONS TO BAETTELOT 201

' Jun£ 2ith, 1887.

' To Major Barttelot, etc.

'Sib,

' As the senior of those officers accompanying me on the
Emin Pasha Eelief Expedition, the command of this important
post naturally devolves on you. It is also for the interest of
the Expedition that you accept this command, from the fact
that your Sudanese company, being only soldiers and more
capable of garrison duty than the Zanzibaris, vvill be better
utilized than on the road.

' The steamer Stanley left Yambuya on the 22nd of this month
for Stanley Pool. If she meets with no mischance she ought
to be at Leopoldville on the 2nd of July. In two days more she
will be loaded with about 500 loads of our goods, which were
left in charge of Mr. J. E. Troup. This gentleman will embark,
and on the 4th of July I assume that the Stanley will commence
her ascent of the river, and arrive at Bolobo on the 9th. Fuel
being ready, the 125 men in charge of Messrs. Ward and
Bonny, now at Bolobo, will embark, and the steamer will con-
tinue her journey. She wiU be at Bangala on the 19th of July,
and arrive here on the 31st of July. Of course, the lowness
of the river in that month may delay her a few days, but,
having great confidence in her captain, you may certainly
expect her before the 10th of August.

' It is the non-arrival of these goods and men which compel
me to appoint you as commander of this post. But as I shall
shortly expect the arrival of a strong reinforcement of men,
greatly exceeding the advance force, which must, at all hazards,
push on to the rescue of Emin Pasha, I hope you will not be
detained longer than a few days after the departure of the
Stanley on her final return to Stanley Pool in August.

' Meantime, pending the arrival of our men and goods, it
behoves you to be very alert and wary in the command of this
stockaded camp. Though the camp is favourably situated and
naturally strong, a brave enemy would find it no difficult task
to capture if the commander is lax in discipline, vigour, and
energy. Therefore I feel sure that I have made a wise choice
in selecting you to guard our interests here during our absence.

' The interests now entrusted to you are of vital importance

202 TIPPOO TIB

to this Expedition. The men you will eventually have under
you consist of more than an entire third of the Expedition.
The goods that will be brought up are the currency needed for
transit through the regions beyond the lakes ; there will be a
vast store of ammunition and provisions, which are of equal
importance to us. The loss of these men and , goods would be
certain ruin to us, and the advance force itself would need to
solicit relief in its turn. Therefore, weighing this matter well,
I hope you will spare no pains to maintain order and discipline
in your camp, and make your defences complete and keep them
in such a condition that, however brave an enemy may be, he
can make no impression on them. For this latter purpose I
would recommend you to make an artificial ditch 6 feet wide,
3 feet deep, leading from the natural ditch, where the spring
is round the stockade. A platform, like that on the southern
side of the camp, constructed near the eastern as well as the
western gate, would be of advantage to the strength of the
camp. For remember, it is not the natives alone who may
wish to assail you, but the Arabs and their followers may,
through some cause or other, quarrel with you and assail your
camp.

' Our course from here will be due east, or by magnetic
compass east by south as near as possible. Certain marches
that we may make may not exactly lead in the direction aimed
at. Nevertheless, it is the south-west corner of Lake Albert,
near or at Kavalli, that is our destination. When we arrive
there we shall form a strong camp in the neighbourhood, launch
our boat, and steer for Kibero, in Unyoro, to hear from Signor
Casati, if he is there, of the condition of Bmin Pasha. If the
latter is alive, and in the neighbourhood of the lake, we shall
communicate with him, and our after conduct must be guided
by what we shall learn of the intentions of Emin Pasha. We
may assume that we shall not be longer than a fortnight with
him before deciding on our return towards the camp along the
same road traversed by us.

' We will endeavour, by blazing trees and cutting saplings
along our road, to leave sufScient traces of the route taken by
us. We shall always take, by preference, tracks leading east-
ward. At all crossings where paths intersect we shall hoe up

STANLEY'S INSTEUCTIONS TO BAETTBLOT 203

aud make a hole a few inches deep across all paths not used by
us, besides blazing trees when possible.

' It may happen, should Tippu-Tib have sent the full number
of adults promised by him to me, viz., 600 men (able to carry
loads), and the Stanley has arrived safely with the 125 men left
by me at Bolobo, that you will feel yourself sufficiently com-
petent to march the column, with all the goods brought by the
Stanley and those left by me at Yambuya, along the road pur-
sued by me. In that event, which would be very desirable, you
wiU follow closely our route, and before many days we should
most assuredly meet. No doubt you will find our bonias intact
and standing, and you should endeavour to make your marches
so that you could utilize these as you marched. Better guides
than those homas of our route could not be made. If you do
not meet them in the course of two days' march you may rest
assured that you are not on our route.

' It may happen, also, that though Tippu-Tib has sent some
men, he has not sent enough to carry the goods with your own
force. In ihat case you will, of course, use your discretion as
to what goods you can dispense with to enable you to march.
For this purpose you should study your list attentively.

' 1. Ammunition, especially fixed, is most important.

'2. Beads.'brass wire, cowries and cloth, rank next.

' 3. Private luggage.

' 4. Powder and caps.

' 5. European provisions.

' 6. Brass rods as used on the Congo.

' 7. Provisions (rice, beans, peas, millet, biscuits).

' Therefore you must consider, after rope, sacking, tools,
such as shovels (never discard an axe or bill-hook), how many
sacks of provisions you can distribute among your men to
enable you to march — whether half your brass rods in the
boxes could not go also and there stop. If you still cannot
march, then it would be better to make two marches of six
miles twice over if you prefer marching to staying for our
arrival, than throw too many things away.

' With the Stanley's final departure from Yambuya you
should not fail to send a report to Mr. William Mackinnon,
c/o Gray, Dawes and Co., 13, Austin Friars, London, of

204 TIPPOO TIB

what has happened at your camp in my absence, or when I
started away eastward ; whether you have heard of or from
me at all, when you do expect to hear, and what you purpose
doing; You should also send him a true copy of this order,
that the Belief Committee may judge for themselves whether
you have acted, or purpose to act, judiciously.

' Your present garrison shall consist of 80 rifles and from
40 to 50 supernumeraries. The Stanley is to bring you within
a few weeks 60 more rifles and 75 supernumeraries, under
Messrs. Troup, Ward, and Bonny.

' I associate Mr. J. S. Jameson with you at present. Messrs.
Troup, Ward, and Bonny will submit to your authority. In the
ordinary duties of the defence and the conduct of the camp or
of the march there is only one chief, which is yourself ; but,
should any vital step be proposed to be taken, I beg you will
take the voice of Mr. Jameson also. And when Messrs. Troup
and Ward are here, pray admit them to your confidence, and let
them speak freely their opinions.

' I think I have written very clearly upon everything that
strikes me as necessary. Your treatment of the natives, I
suggest, should depend entirely upon their conduct to you.
Suffer them to return to the neighbouring villages in peace, and
if you can in any manner by moderation, small gifts occasion-
ally of brass rods, etc., hasten an amicable intercourse, I
should recommend you doing so. Lose no opportunity of
obtaining all kinds of information respecting the natives, the
position of the various villages in your neighbourhood, etc.
' I have the honour to be,

' Your obedient servant,

' Henbt M. Stanley,

' Commanding Expedition.'

The pith and marrow of the directions was that,
whatever happened, the rear column was to follow the
advance as quickly as possible. Stanley had thought
it quite within the range of possibility that Tippoo
Tib would either fail to furnish the promised carriers
or else not supply enough, and he had fully discussed

UNEELIABILITY OP TIPPOO TIB 205

Tippoo Tib's reliability with Barttelot after giving
the latter his instructions. If this discussion took
place as Stanley describes, it was clearly pointed
out in the course of it that absolute reliance could
not be placed on the Arab. The attempt to make
a friend of him was a counsel of necessity, for with-
out his goodwill, after the conflicts that had preceded
between the Arabs and Belgians, a march through
the districts to be traversed was impossible. But
it was a priori doubtful whether, when brought
within range of the influence of his revengeful
fellow-tribesmen, he would carry out all the obliga-
tions he had undertaken, and still more uncertain
after the disputes that had taken place between the
European members of the caravan and Tippoo Tib's
followers, particularly his puffed-up nephew, Salum
bin Muhammed.

Beside this, Tippoo Tib had made Barttelot
almost im.possible promises at parting. He had
said that he would despatch the 600 men he had
engaged to supply within nine days. Stanley, who
knew what the promises of Orientals were, saw at
once that he would not do so. The Muhammedan,
when speaking of anything he is going to do in
the future, always adds, ' In sha Allah.' If he does
not do it, it is just because God has not willed it.
When Barttelot, in answer to Stanley's warnings,
asked in perplexity why on earth they had had any-
thing to do with the untrustworthy old campaigner,
the wily American compared his Arab friend to the
Maxim gun he had with him, which, so long as it
worked properly, could do very good service, and
was then of inestimable value. But it might happen

206 TIPPOO TIB

to break down, owing to defective construction,
wrong handling, or being tampered with by the
enemy. In that case one had to trust to the rifles,
which one also carried. Just so Tippoo Tib, if he
did not fail through his own falseness, unskilful
handling, or hostile influence, would be most help-
fnl to the column. But, if he shoidd be faithless,
other resources must be forthcoming ; and these in
this case were his own men, who were with the
rearguard, or whom, if necessary, they would enlist
on their own account.

Stanley's forebodings were only too terribly
realized. Tippoo Tib did indeed soon send off
500 men, but they only got as far as the mouth
of the Aruwimi. That is just the spot where some
years before Salum bin Muhammed's caravan had
been massacred. This led their leader, Ali bin
Muharmned, at once to start on a mock punitive
expedition. He blazed away all his powder,
did not dare go any further, and went back to
Stanley Falls. This first attempt to obtain carriers
was followed by various others. The ofiicers of the
rear column were constantly travelling to and fro
between Yambuya, Stanley Falls, and Kassongo in
search of Tippoo Tib, whose own concerns took him
now here, now there, to hold him to the fulfilment of
his agreement.

It must not be assumed that he had maliciously
neglected his engagements, as Stanley tries to make
out. He had already shown his good intentions
by getting ready in a remarkably short time 500
carriers, for whose non-arrival he was not directly
to blame. Even if gross neglect cotild be brought

EXTENUATING CIECUMSTANCES 207

home to him, there is much to be said in his
defence. The supplying of carriers had not been
made a primary stipulation of his engagement. He
was first and foremost Governor of the Stanley
Falls district, and, as such, had manifold duties,
which called him this way and that. To-day he
had to administer justice at Kassongo, to-morrow
to suppress disorders on the Lomami. In addition
to this, he was a merchant, and his mercantile
concerns naturally were more to him than the
success of Stanley, towards whom he felt himself
exonerated after having once supplied 500 men.
And he had obviously no inducement whatever
to do anything extra for Stanley when his own
experiences as to Stanley's promises are recol-
lected.

The moral responsibility for the tragic fate of
the rear cokmm cannot in any way be imputed to
Tippoo Tib. First and foremost it falls on Stanley
himself, who left behind a large number of his
comrades under conditions the difficulties of which
he knew and with which they showed themselves
unable to cope. Next, the Europeans in charge of
the rear column must be pronounced to have shown
themselves quite incompetent, in face of those diffi-
culties, when they arose. In the instructions given
by Stanley the event of the carriers not being
supplied had been expressly provided for. Should
it so happen, the rear column was to endeavour, as
best it could, to get on without outside assistance,
and to follow by quite short marches. This was
plainly laid down. Instead of this Barttelot let
a whole year pass, during which the greater part

208 TIPPOO TIB

of his men, who at a pinch could have made the
journey alone, perished miserably.

At last he had collected a number of carriers
which seemed to him sufficient, and decided on a
start on June 14, 1888. In forty-three days' march
the caravan covered ninety miles, to the village of
Banalya, a station of Tippoo Tib's, in charge of an
Arab named AbdaUah Karoni. With him the Major
quarrelled, and so determined to journey back once
more to Stanley Falls, which he had visited seven
times in the course of the year, and complain to
Tippoo Tib. But he never lived to do so. On the
morning of July 19 he was treacherously shot by a
Manyema named Senga, whose wife he had told to
stop making a noise. For a moment it seemed as
if this was to be the signal for a general mutiny,
but Bonny, the only Englishman still with the
caravan, succeeded in mastering the excitement,
though he could not prevent several loads being
plundered.

Three days later Jameson came up with the last
of the stragglers. According to the instructions, he
was now to take over the command. In order to
make himself quite secure for the future, he deter-
mined to induce Tippoo Tib himself, by the offer of
a large sum of money, to lead the caravan on to the
Albert Nyanza, and for that purpose he betook
himseK again to Stanley Falls. His arrival there
and his negotiations with Tippoo Tib are described
as follows in the autobiography :

' After a month Jameson appeared and announced
that the Major had been shot. His murderer was
Senga, who, however, had escaped. Some other

ACCOUNT OF BAETTBLOT'S MUEDER 209

men too liad fled, and about ten loads were miss-
ing. " Bnt," lie went on, " all the rest of the loads
we have got together under guard at a place where
there are townships near at hand, and all the rest
of the people are there. And now I have come to
ask you to accompany me." That meant myself and
the Belgians. We asked him : "Why did Senga shoot
the Major ?" He replied : " Because he forbade him
to get up a ngoma. And his wanyampara"^^ said :
' This ngoma is for joy at our starting. Is it right
for ns to be mournful, as at a funeral ?' Then
one evening between eight and nine the wives of
Senga were singing, when the Major suddenly came
and made passes with a spear at one of them.
When her husband saw that, he fired at him. That
is the reason." After four days they brought Senga
and his wives and children in irons. I handed
them over to the Belgians, and they asked him :
" ^Vhy did you shoot the Major?" He replied in
the same way as Jameson had told us. They
said : "If anyone set you on, say so, for you will
be execu.ted anyhow." But he replied : "No one
set me on ; nor was there any other reason than
what I have told you." Then the Belgians called
me and Jameson, told us what Senga had said, and
gave him iip to Jameson. The latter ordered his
execution. " But his belongings," he said, " are
not implicated or to blame." So our slave Senga
was shot.

* Jameson begged me to accompany him, but the
Belgians said : " Hamid bin Muhammed must not
go away. He is here in the service of the State, and
* Overseers of the caravan.

14

210 TIPPOO TIB

we are under him, so how can he go away ? It
is in his agreement that he should give you men,
but not that he is to go with you himself." Then
Jameson promised to pay 50,000 to 60,000 dollars,
offering to pay it out of his own money if they
would not give it in Europe. But the Belgians
answered him : "If you want Hamed bin Muham-
med, go to Banana and telegraph. If he gets leave
to conduct you, you can afterwards agree on his
salary." '

Thereupon Jameson determined to ask at Brussels
by telegraph, and proceeded down the river to hand
in the despatch himself. But he only got as far as
the Lomami, where he fell ill of fever and died.
Of the remaining Europeans belonging to the
expedition, Troup had been sent back to Europe
very ill, while Ward had apparently had differences
of opinion with the Major, and while waiting for
the telegraphic instructions of the home Committee
kept far away from the caravan on the Lower Congo.

The native portion of the rear column, now under
Bonny's command, had also shrunk to half its
numbers through iUness and privation. In this
woeful plight did Stanley find his reserve, on which
he had built such great hopes, when he returned
from the Albert Nyanza to Banalya on August 17,
1888. After a most arduous march he had safely
joined the Pasha, on April 29, at Kawalli, on the
west shore of Albert Nyanza, and, after convincing
himself that no danger threatened him for the
moment, returned on June 1 to pick up the
remainder of the expedition, left behind a year
before on the Aruwimi.

WITH EMIN TO THE EAST COAST 211

Being now sufficiently provided with carriers, he
returned on January 18, 1889, to the Albert Nyanza,
and conducted the Pasha, who was very reluctant
to abandon his post, half against his will, to the
East Coast, which he reached — at Bagamoyo — on
December 4. It is well known how Emin, who for
more than ten years had braved the dangers of
Central Africa, almost lost his life there by an
accident. At a banquet given in his honour, the
day after his arrival, by the German officials, owing
to his shortsightedness, he fell oiit of the window,
and sustained a fracture of the skrdl, which kept
him for a long time on a sick bed. On recovering,
he entered the service of the new German colony as
Imperial Commissioner.

14—2

CHAPTER XV

RETURN TO ZANZIBAR — COLLAPSE OF THE ARAB POWER
ON THE EAST COAST

' The old falls down, and time gives way to change,
And a new life arises from the ruins.'

ScHiLLEK : Tell.

When Stanley returned to Banalya in August, 1888,
h.e at once wrote to Tippoo Tib, inviting him to
a conference. He, however, could not get away
himseK, and sent in his stead his nephew, Salum
bin Muhammed, to confer with the explorer. Stanley
devotes several pages of his work to their interview,
but what he wanted of Tippoo Tib is not very clear.
On the one hand, he demanded that the Arab chief
should pay him back the passage of himself and his
men from Zanzibar to Stanley Falls, and replace all
goods that had been lost, threatening, if neces-
sary, to enforce his claims with the help of the
Sultan and the British Consul-General ; on the
other, a fresh contract seems to be again floating
before his eyes, which he evidently expects to
obtain cheaply by putting these demands forward.

Tippoo Tib, however, refused to be intimidated
by any threats, and remained in conscious inno-
cence at his station, which of late had advanced

212

PEOSPEEITY OF TIPPOO'S STATION 213

mightily as a centre of trade. ' Every month came
Europeans to the camp in two or three boats, and
they all took ivory on board — often they had to leave
some behind. Stanley Falls was quite fuU of Euro-
peans, and aU that you could wish for was to be
had there. It was a great port, and everything that
one desired was to be had. Belgian and French
trading companies also came there, and everywhere
flourishing towns arose. And every boat that came
took on board ivory.

' And it was at Stanley Falls as on the coast. No
one sent for anything from Zanzibar, or Tabora, or
Ujiji ; everything was to be procured on the spot.'

With the Europeans, especially the Belgians,
Tippoo Tib Hved on the best of terms. Once the
Governor himseK visited him to discuss the fixing
of an ivory tax. Our chronicler declares that the
Congo State demanded a payment in kind of 5 pounds
on every frasila (somewhat more than 14 per cent.).
Tippoo Tib agreed to this for his own ivory, but
requested that only 3 pounds (about 9 per cent.)
should be levied from the other Arabs. The request
was granted, and the Arabs agreed to the arrange-
ment.

I have found no mention elsewhere of any such
arrangement for taxing Tippoo Tib higher than
other Arabs ; but, as a fact, about the time he was
Vali at Stanley Falls a tax in kind of 4 pounds was
imposed. It is not impossible that, to make his
fellow-tribesmen better disposed to the tax, he
allowed himself to be treated less favourably, and
procured them some mitigation. He eventually
found ways and means to make his account out of it.

214 TIPPOO TIB

While he was thus attending to his duties in the
service of a European Power, he received from home
the news that his old patron, Seyyid Burghash, was
dead. He had long been suffering, and ended his
eventful life on March 27, 1888. The physical
troubles which made his last years a burden were,
however, trifling compared with the spiritual suffer-
ings which darkened the evening of his life.

Burghash, as is well known, in 1870 ascended
the throne of his father, left vacant by the eagerly
expected death of his brother Majid. Like the
former, the type of an aristocratic Arab and an
Oriental despot from head to foot, he once more
revived for his country the days of ancient splendour,
which seemed to have been buried on the death of
Said. The forays of his subjects into the dark
interior, which he followed with interest and sup-
ported to the best of his power, brought rich
treasures into the country, of which he took his
share by levying considerable taxes. On the island
itseK agriculture, especially the cultivation of the
clove, was in its fullest prosperity, and the Sultan
did not content himself with the produce of his own
plantations, but also laid a heavy tax on the crops
of his subjects ; 30 per cent, of all cloves had to
be given over to him. He was also a keen man
of business, and had a whole fleet of merchant ships
afloat on the Indian Ocean.

The ample means thus obtained enabled him to
display the pomp worthy of an Eastern Prince. The
palace which he built for himself, and which still
serves as a residence for his successor, is known,
on account of its extravagant l"urnishing, as Bet el

NEWS OF BUEGHASH'S DEATH 215

Ajaib, or tlie ' House of Wonders.' Numerous
country houses, situated in the most beautiful parts
of the island and still favourite resorts, are also
his work. He not only shone in outward splen-
dour, but, like a wise ruler, applied the treasures
that came flowing to him to further the welfare of
his subjects. He raised himself a lasting memorial
by the construction of a magnificent aqtieduct.
From Khemkhen, an abundant spring to the north
of the town, he brought down excellent drinking-
water through miles of pipes, which may be drawn
to this day by every inhabitant of Zanzibar, free of
cost, from numberless fountains.

The days of power and splendour soon went by.
The Europeans, who till now had stayed in the
country as peaceful traders or journeyed into the
interior as harmless explorers, began to become
politically dangerous, and hence the events which
we have already touched on in Chapter XH.
Towards the close of his life Burghash had lost his
possessions on the mainland, and the time was not
far distant when the land of his fathers would fall
wholly under Western control.

The news of Burghash's death was received by
Tippoo Tib via Europe, to which it had been tele-
graphed^ — another sign how the times had changed.
Two decades before he, like so many of his com-
patriots, had set out from the East Coast, not
knowing how the road would end, and, cut off for
years from conununication with home, had pressed
further and further towards the west. Now the
Westerners had advanced from the same quarter
into the wilderness, whose depths he had pene-

216 TIPPOO TIB

trated, and there, with the superior discoveries of
their genius, had secured the sovereignty for them-
selves. Their steamers phed on the African river
which had been awaked from its sleep of thousands
of years, and brought the furthest strongholds of
the Arab slave-hunters into communication with
European civilization.

Tippoo Tib, who was always in favour of good
relations with his rulers, at once sent to Burghash's
successor, his brother Khalifa, an embassy to convey
congratulations to him on his accession to the
throne, and assure him of the allegiance of his
influential subject. Tippoo Tib's son Sef had
shortly before set out for the coast, and could still
be overtaken by couriers and instructed to appear
as his father's spokesman before the new Sultan.

But our hero himself was soon warned in an
unpleasant manner to return to Zanzibar. The
King of the Belgians informed him that Stanley had
made serioiis accusations against him. He was said
to be guilty of the death of Major Barttelot, and by
the breach of the duties he had undertaken by
agreement with Stanley to have caused material
damage to the expedition led by the latter ;
Stanley had cited him before the English court at
Zanzibar ; a great lawsuit was in prospect, and his
property there had already been sequestrated. A
legal summons would probably reach him shortly.

This news startled Tippoo Tib out of his calm,
and he at once determined to travel to Zanzibar to
defend himself against the accusations raised against
him. In March, 1890, he started, after having taken
a most friendly leave of the Europeans at his station.

TIPPOO TIB STAETS TOE ZANZIBAE 217

Rashid, the son of his cousin and companion in
arms Bwana Nzige, was made Vali in his place,
while two Arab friends were to look after his com-
mercial interests diiring his absence.

His fellow-tribesmen at Stanley Falls endeavoured
in every possible way to hold back Tippoo Tib from
making the jouroey to the coast ; they feared that it
might go ill with him before the judgment-seat of
the Europeans. In the old famihar places, too,
which he passed through — Nyangwe and Kassongo
— the worst was prophesied, and he was advised
rather to let all his property in Zanzibar go, and to
enjoy his life here among his friends, far beyond
the reach of the arm of the law. He had quite
sufficient fortune left in the interior to live
comfortably.

But Tippoo Tib, in his superior wisdom, flung all
these well-meant warnings to the winds. To begin
with, he felt himself innocent, and thought he would
be able to prove it on the coast. Secondly, he said
to himself that, if the decision should really go
against him, as things then stood he would not be
safe from the vengeance of the Europeans, even in
the farthest depths of the interior. Whom should
he call to his aid against the firearms of the white
men ? What sort of warriors the Manyema were he
had learnt years before, when with a iandful of
riflemen he conquered the tribes one after another,
divided as they were by internal dissensions. He
had meanwhile seen with his own eyes the superior
power of the Europeans, and knew that nothing
could be done against them with such undisciplined
savages as he had at command.

218 TIPPOO TIB

He seems to have been very outspoken with the
Arabs who were besetting him, and flung about him
such expressions as ' nonsense ' and ' silly fools.'

When even his friend Bwana Nzige urged him to
resist the Europeans, his patience gave way alto-
gether, and he rejoined quite tragically : ' Do you,
too, speak in this wise ? I always took you for a
sensible man, and now you talk like that !'

On his way to Tanganyika, Tippoo Tib met
Msabbah bin Njem, the Vali of that district, by whom
he was told that Rtimalisa, whose headquarters were
at Ujiji, was arming to attack the Europeans west
of the lake. Captain Jaques had started on an
expedition thither for the Belgian Anti-slavery
Society, and all Arab slave-traders felt their most
particular interests threatened by his appearance.
It was easy for Rumalisa, with the hatred towards
Europeans which, even apart from this provocation,
was seething in them, to find nmnerous adherents
for his hostile plans.

Tippoo Tib had heard before this of the intentions
of his vassal, and had energetically enjoined on him
to refrain from all hostilities. In Mtoa he met him,
and learned to his delight that nothing had come
of the purposed attack. Rumalisa had indeed, in
defiance of the commands of Tippoo Tib, made all
preparations for fighting ; btit the boat that was
to bring the necessary powder across Tanganyika
luckily let in the water, and so he was forced to
abstain from a struggle which would have damaged
the interests of the Arabs at least as much as those
of the Belgians. I^ater on, when Tippoo Tib was
out of the country, Rumalisa renewed the abortive

SUMMONS OF THE ENGLISH COUET 219

attack, and by so doing initiated a period of severe
conflicts, in which much blood was shed, and in the
end the power of his fellow-tribesmen was totally
broken.

Tippoo Tib, who still considered himself in the
service of the Eang of the Belgians, in accordance
with the instructions he had received hoisted the
bkie flag with the golden star, then crossed
Tanganyika, and marched from Ujiji towards the
home of his fathers, Tabora.

On the way he received letters from Zanzibar,
among them the summons from the court already
annoiinced. Stanley had brought an action for
90,000 dollars (about £11,000) damages, and the
English judge, Cracknall, informed him that unless
he put in an appearance before the court within
six months, judgment would be given against him.

A curious item in this summons was the fact that
the Arabic text gave as plaintiffs ' Emin Pasha and
his people,' of course meaning the Relief Com-
mittee. In any case the wording was calculated to
bring about misunderstandings, and the Pasha, as
soon as he learned the misuse of his name, issued a
public declaration stating that he had nothing what-
ever to do with the suit ; that, on the contrary, he
had parted with Tippoo Tib's people, who had
escorted him to the coast, on the best of terms.
This declaration was sent in print to all Arabs of
consequence in Zanzibar, and a document of similar
tenour was sent to Tippoo Tib as well.

Emin Pasha was known to all those who had
become intimate with him as particularly touchy,
and had often shown plainly that he was capable of

220 TIPPOO TIB

being seriously aggrieved over the veriest trifles,
lu this case, hovrever, more was at issue. He had
just entered the service of the German Empire, and
was on the point of beginning a long journey to the
interior. When it was made to appear through the
summons, read with interest by all Arabs, that he
was at grievous feud with Tippoo Tib, the un-
crowned rider of Central Africa, he had reason to
expect the greatest hindrances on his journey, and
so it is not to be wondered at that he did all he
could to set right erroneous surmises which might
attach to the wording of that summons.

That the English judge purposely designated the
plaintiffs so ambiguously can scarcely be conceived,
although to the end of his life he was a deadly
hater of Germans and was no well-wisher of Emin.
At all events, when his attention was drawn
to the doubtfulness of the wording, he did nothing
to dispel any doubts that might attach to it.

At Unyanyembe Tippoo Tib could feel himself
once more at home. His old friend Mirambo had
indeed been dead some years, and his brother, who
succeeded him, Mpanda Sharo, had also died
meanwhile. The present ruler was a son of
Mirambo's, who kept up the old friendship of his
father for Tippoo Tib, and received him respectfully,
as his father would have done. At the English
mission-house near Tabora a hospitable reception
was also accorded him.

The changes which our hero this time found on
his return in his native district were far greater
than those which met his eyes on his previous visit.
In order to depict them we must connect them with

GEEMAN ACQUISITIONS IN EAST APEICA 221

the events at whicli we broke off in Chapter XII.
— the historical description of the German acquisi-
tions in East Africa.

In April, 1888, Seyyid Khalifa signed the treaty
by which the coast of our present colony was leased
out to the German East African Company. Besides
the control of the Customs, all the sovereign rights
hitherto exercised by the Sultan, especially that
of justice, were transferred to the Company, which,
as an external mark of its power, hoisted its own
flag at all the places it occupied beside the red
banner of the Sultan. In spite of the artistic
design of the flag, which, in addition to the German
colours, bears the Southern Cross as a crest — this
outward act of ' taking seisin ' was not at once
followed by the actual subjugation of the territory
ceded.

The native population from the first viewed
their new masters with distrust. What was
said before about the behaviour of the Tabora
Arabs to the German merchants was here, in an
increased degree, true of the whole population of
the coast as regards the officials of the Company.
To the jealousy of competition was added the fear
of ere long falling wholly under the sway of the
Europeans, who, according to their view, would put
a stop to much that hitherto had been a matter of
course : in the first place, the slave-trade, by which,
directly or indirectly, almost the whole population
lived — the Arabs and Swahilis by going out on
raids and making profit out of the sale of the slaves
carried off, the Indians by supplying at a high
price the powder necessary for these expeditions

222 TIPPOO TIB

and advancing the other goods needed for such
enterprises at a high rate of interest.

The discontent which was fermenting in all was
easily stirred np by those elements, which had
most to lose if greater order became generally
prevalent. Among these were, above all, the many
officials of the Sultan who had hitherto drawn a
comfortable extra income from bribes and cheating
the Customs, and saw themselves suddenly robbed
of it. Then there were the local chiefs who had
unconditionally recognised the overlordship of the
Sultan, and now felt themselves threatened by the
foreigners settled on the coast ; these, too, were easily
induced to join movement against the interlopers.
A convenient incitement in the universal indigna-
tion was religion, indifferent as the East African
generally is to his soul's welfare. It was also alleged
that the officers of the Company did not always
show tact in dealing with the natives. They were
mostly yoimg and placed among unfamiliar con-
ditions, so that blunders were likely to occur.
Yet it may be confidently asserted that even the
wisest and most temperate conduct would not have
checked the movement.

The Sultan, who had only agreed to the coast
treaty under compulsion, did nothing to quiet the
disturbed spirits ; on the contrary, he undoubtedly
regarded the incipient hostilities with complacency,
and as far as lay in his power supported the
resistance"*' of the people of the coast to the new
element.

* Cf. for what follows Rochus Schmidt, ' Geschichte des
Araberaufstandes in Ostafrika.'

THE AEAB EISING 223

The first open resistance was offered in August,
1888, at Pangani, where the Sultan's Vali tried to
prevent the hoisting of the Company's flag. The
appearance of two men-of-war, the MiJwe and the
Carola, restored tranquillity for the tinae being ;
but hardly were they gone when the two officers
of the Company were made prisoners in their
own house by the natives, and were only saved
with difficulty by the intervention of the English-
man Mathews, the Sultan's well-known general
and subsequently Prime Minister of Zanzibar. At
Tanga and Bagamoyo also hostilities broke out
in September. The soul of the rising was the
Arab Bushir bin Salum el Harthi, who had won
warlike fame in successful struggles with Mirambo,
and even by armed resistance to Sultan Burghash.
He also stirred up Bwana Heri, the influential
Sultan of Useguha, the hinterland of Saadani, to
resistance. The Company was quite powerless in
face of the gathering rising ; the German men-of-
war could, of course, only intervene at the larger
ports and were unable to enforce a lasting peace.
Except Bagamoyo and Dar-es-salaam, the whole north
coast had to be given up, and at the end of the year
the south also fell to the rebels. At Lindi and
Mikindani the officers of the Company, when all
resistance seemed hopeless, were just barely able
to save themselves, while at Kilwa two brave
officials paid for their heroic defence of the post
entrusted to them with their lives.

Meanwhile, people at home had recognized that if
they did not mean wholly to give up the German cause
in the new regions, the Empire must adopt energetic

224 TIPPOO TIB

measures. After brief negotiations with England
and Portugal, our neighbours in East Africa, it
was determined to blockade the entire coast be-
tween 10° 28' and 2° 10' of south latitude, so as to
prevent the importation of munitions of war. This
blockade was opened on December 2 by the
German and English admirals Deinhardt and Fre-
mantle. A further decisive step was taken when,
on January 30, 1889, the Reichstag adopted a Bill*
by which a sum of 2,000,000 marks was placed
at the disposal of the State for the effectual pro-
tection of German interests in East Africa, and it
was decided to entrust the carrying out of the
necessary measures to an Imperial Commissioner.

To this post, as we know. Captain Hermann
Wissmann was nominated. He had first made his
reputation as an explorer by crossing the Dark
Continent from west to east, as was mentioned in
Chapter X., and during the years 1883-1885 had
made successful journeys of exploration in the
Congo Basin, while an expedition at the end of that
year to the south of the newly-founded Congo State,
forced on him against his will by the attitude
of the Arabs, who were then at war with the
Belgians, had been prolonged into a second cross-
ing of Africa. After having thus, with short
intervals, spent almost eight years of activity in
the interior, he returned home in the summer of
1888. He had then been selected, together with

* In order to secure a majority in the Eeichstag, the question
of slavery was skilfully tacked to it. This secured the votes of
the Centre. The same tactics had been previously adopted by
Bismarck to force England to join in the blockade.

WISSMANN'S FOECE 225

Dr. Peters, to lead the expedition planned by tlie
Germans for the relief of Emin Pasha, but at the
last moment it was still possible to secure him for the
post of Commissioner.

The preparations for the suppression of the rising
were made with the utmost speed. At Wiss-
mann's suggestion, native African tribes were
employed, under the command of German officers
and non-commissioned officers. With the assent of
the Egyptian Government, 700 Soudanese were
enlisted, and, after negotiations with Portugal, 100
Zulus. The Europeans appointed were twenty-one
officers (including surgeons and officials) and forty
non-commissioned officers.

On March 21, 1889, Wissmann reached Zanzibar,
and from there, after a short stay with the leader of
the German squadron, Admiral Deinhardt, pro-
ceeded to the mainland. On April 28, after an agree-
ment concluded with the principal representative of
the German East African Company, M. de St. Paul
lUaire, the entire control of the Company's territory,
exclusive of the Customs, was handed over to the
Imperial Commissioner. On April 29 the first
transport, with the Soudanese, reached Bagamoyo.
On May 6 all the fighting force was assembled, and
then followed in rapid succession the warlike
incidents by which the resistance of the rebels was
gradually broken.

On May 8 Bushiri's fortified camp near Bagamoyo
was stormed, though he himself unfortunately
escaped. Bwana Heri's headquarters at Saadani,
which had been previously bombarded by the naval
force without definite result, fell on June 6. Pangani

15

226 TIPPOO TIB

fell on July 9, and about the same time Tanga was
taken by tbe sailors. Meanwhile various attempts
had been made to enter into peaceful negotiations
with the rebels, but they led to no result. Sleman
bin Nasor el Lemki, later well known in Europe as
the Vali of Dar-es-Salaam, had been sent by the
Commissioner to Pangani to treat with the Arabs
there, but was received with musket shots and
could not land. Tippoo Tib's son Sef . also tried in
vain to make himself useful. Coming from the
interior, he had reached the coast near Saadani with
a great caravan of ivory, and with Wissmann's per-
mission had taken on his treasures to Zanzibar. At
Wissmann's request, he returned to Saadani to induce
Bwana Heri to accept peace, but was not suc-
cessful.

When Bushiri saw his power broken on the coast
he withdrew further into the interior and attacked
the town of Mpapwa, where the German East
African Company had a settlement. This he
destroyed. Wissmann followed him with a large
force, reached Mpapwa on October 10, and estab-
lished there a fresh and strongly fortified station.

Bushiri meanwhile had made off again. He had
found numerous adherents among the warlike
Wahehe and Mafiti, and hastened now to make use of
the Commissioner's absence for a fresh advance on
the coast. He had already penetrated as far as
Usaramo, and his hordes had there practised the
most inhuman cruelties, when Wissmann's lieutenant,
Freiherr von Gravenreuth, advanced against him
from Dar-es-Salaam. Near the township of Yombo
he inflicted a serious defeat on the insurgents, but

BUSHIRI AND BWANA HEEI 227

Busliiri again escaped. His auxiliaries, however,
deserted him, and at length, after he had once more
barely escaped with his life in an attack on the
village of Masiro, Jumhen Magaya succeeded in
taking him prisoner at Kwa Mkoro, on the borders
of Ngiiru. The chief. Dr. Sclxoaidt, took him to
Pangani, where he was hanged on December 15.

It now became necessary to break down the re-
sistance of the powerful Bwana Heri, who was arm-
ing afresh in the hinterland of Saadani. A detach-
ment sent out to reconnoitre imder Rochus Schmidt
on December 27 came unexpectedly at Mlembula on
a strongly fortified boma in the bush, whose existence
had hitherto been unknown. An attack on it was
repulsed, whereupon Wissmann assembled all the
fighting forces at his disposal for a fresh advance,
and on January 3, 1890, after a furious conflict,
stormed the stronghold, which proved itself a model
of African fortification.

Bwana Heri escaped, and assembled his troops at
Palamakaa, a village five hours' march from Saadani,
for further resistance. There he held out for some
time against various attacks, but at last, on March 9,
was a second time defeated by Wissmann. Though it
proved impossible to secure his person, his resistance
was now broken. His ammunition and provisions
were almost exhausted, so that he no longer showed
himself inaccessible to the proposals of peace made
him through Sleman bin Nasor. In April he
formally submitted to the Commissioner, who
forgave him the past, in the hope that his influence
over the numerous natives he ruled might in the
future further the German cause. Though this

15—2

228 TIPPOO TIB

hope was not realized in the long-run, it was of
great advantage at that critical time to have gained
him even as a temporary ally.

The winning back of the north soon followed the
reconquest of the south. The towns of Mikindani
and Sudi submitted voluntarily, and here again it
was Sleman bin Nasor who successfully conducted
the negotiations. The services which he rendered
to the German cause in those dark days should
never be forgotten. The ports of Kilwa and Lindi
were occupied early in May, after bombardment
from the sea, and received permanent garrisons. A
station was also established at Mikindani. The
suppression of the rising was thus complete, and at
the end of the month Wissmann was able to go
home on leave, so as to restore his health, which had
been sorely injured by fourteen months' continual
exertions.

In the meantime measures had been taken at
Berhn to secure international recognition for the
African territories just purchased with German
blood. As a supplement to the London Convention
of November 1, 1886, a new treaty was concluded
with England, by which the colonies of German and
British East Africa were constituted in their
present shape.

Great Britain undertook to exert all her influence
to induce the Sultan by friendly means to cede the
strip of coast still belonging to him for a reasonable
compensation. Germany in return recognised the
British protectorate over the possessions retained
by the Sultan, including Zanzibar and Pemba,
and left to British influence the territory of

ANGLO-GEEMAN AGREEMENT 229

Witu, to wliich Germany had acquired certain
rights by compacts with its Sultan. The n-umerous
claims renounced by Grermany in Africa were com-
pensated by the cession of the island of Heligoland.
This British protectorate over the Sultan's territory
was proclaimed on November 4, 1890.

As is well known, the compact was generally
regarded as a heavy blow to our colonial pohcy.
Above all, those who knew the conditions from their
own observation regretted that we had left to the
English the island of Zanzibar, which extended in
front of our coast-line, and the city of the same name.
It is no part of this work to criticize the provisions
of that treaty, but this one fact should be pointed
out — that at this day the port of Zanzibar commands
the whole East African coast ; that all the larger
Grerman firms, with the German East African Com-
pany and the German East African Line at their head,
have their principal establishments there. Zanzibar
must be of greater consequence to our coast than
the island of Bomhohn to the shores of the Baltic.
This parallel was drawn in the pamphlet in defence
of the Anglo-German agreement.

The amount of the compensation that the Sultan
was to receive for the cession of the littoral was
fixed by an exchange of notes between the German
and British Governments at £200,000 in gold,
payable in London by the expiration of the year
1890. The sum was raised by the German East
African Company, which for this purpose, as well as
for the necessary capital expenditure for agricultural
purposes, received the privilege of issuing bonds to
bearer to the amount of 10,556,000 marks. This

230 TIPPOO TIB

was settled in an agreement on November 20, by
which the relations between the Government and
the Company were regulated. The chief stipulation
of this compact was that from the date of payment
of the indemnity the Company transferred all its
sovereign rights obtained by treaty with the Sultan
of Zanzibar to the Empire. The latter in turn
undertook for a considerable number of years to pay
the Company 600,000 marks annually out of the
proceeds of the Customs, and granted it, in addition,
a great number of proprietary rights.

In fulfilment of these stipulations, on January 1,
1891, the Empire took over the government of the
newly-estabhshed colony, to which Freiherr von
Soden, hitherto Governor of Cameroon, was appointed.
On March 22 Wissmann's troops were transformed
into Imperial Constabulary, while on July 1 the
management of the Customs also passed into the
hands of the Colonial Government.

After an orderly state of affairs had thus been
established in the coastal districts, the question
arose how to extend German influence further into
the interior. To follow the various stages of this
development lies outside the scope of our work ; we
wiU content ourselves with briefly describing how
Tippoo Tib's native land, Unyanyembe, was incor-
porated in the German dominions.

We have already mentioned that Emin, after
recovering from his serious accident at Bagamoyo,
placed his services at the disposal of the Imperial
Government. On April 26, 1890, he set out from
Bagamoyo with two ofl&cers (Langheld and Dr.
Stuhlmaim), two imder-officers, 100 coloured soldiers,

EMIN PASHA'S NEW MISSION 231

and 400 armed carriers, to bring the district about
the lakes under Geiman control. The intention
was to diverge from Mpapwa north-westward to the
Victoria Nyanza, without touching Tabora. This
was the express wish of Wissmann, who knew the
balance of power between the Arabs there fi-om his
own observation, and was afraid that the appear-
ance of Emin's comparatively slender force would
evoke unnecessary alarm, and so hinder a better-
equipped advance at a more convenient time.
Want of carriers, however, and the need of com-
pleting his articles of barter, forced the Pasha,
contrary to the original plan, to make for the Arab
ent re-pot. The hostilities dreaded did not occur ; on
the contrary, before reaching Tabora Emin received
a missive from the Arabs begging him to hoist the
German flag in their town.

The victories of Wissmann over the insurgents
had naturally not remained unknown here in the
interior. Every native knew that the coast had fallen
into German hands, and also realized that if he fell
out with the masters of that coast all the treasures
that he had stored up at a distance would retain
little commercial value, and that whoever ven-
tured along the accustomed homeward path in
defiance of the new rulers was simply throwing his
life away. Those who still wished to ignore these
facts had shortly before had their eyes opened by the
example of the murderer Muhammed bin Kasum.
Thus their own shrewdness bade the Arabs be on
good terms with the Germans. It happened very
fortunately, moreover, that an influential trader who
was devoted to Wissmann, the Beluchi Ismael, had

232 TIPPOO TIB

arrived at Tabora shortly before Emin. Thanks
very largely to his powers of persuasion, the Arabs
of their own accord solicited German protection.
The only one who struggled energetically against
the new sovereignty was the chief Sike, but even
his opposition was at length broken down by the
insistence of the Arabs.

On August 1 Emin hoisted the German flag at
Tabora. He concluded a convention with the Arabs,
in which they expressly acknowledged German rule
in Unyanyembe, but were granted the right of
choosing a Vali for themselves. They were
unanimous in favour of the ' Besar ' Sef bin Saad,
who afterwards, when a station was established at
Tabora, submitted to its jurisdiction, and has filled
the post assigned him by the confidence of his
fellow-tribesmen to the satisfaction of the Colonial
Government up to the present day.*

The new protectors were not long in want of
opportunities for armed interference, in favour
of their subjects. The marauding Wangoni were
once more on the warpath, and had penetrated into
the adjoining territory of Urambo. The German
commander Freiherr von Biilow, who had joined the
expedition from Mpapwa with twenty-five men, was
sent to meet them, and at first tried to treat with
the assailants. When this failed and the Wangoni
only advanced in thicker swarms, he appealed to the
Pasha for support, which he received in the shape
of Lieutenant Langheld with seventy men, and
marched against the enemy, with 2,000 Urambo
men at his back as well. Four days' fighting
* Sef has since died.

TIPPOO TIB'S MEETING WITH BILLOW 233

(September 9 to 12) ended in the route of the
Wangoni.

The Pasha had meanwhile marched o£E in the
direction of the Victoria Nyanza, and Langheld,
when the fight was over, sent his men after him,
remaining behind himself to wait for a further
expedition sent into the lake region under the
Irishman Stokes and Lieutenant Sigl. Freiherr
von Billow remained for the present at Urambo.
Here he was visited by Tippoo Tib, who had reached
the territory of Unyanyembe shortly before the
Pasha's departure. The Arabs, among whom
Billow seems to have been considered a particularly
stern master, had indeed warned him against this
visit, on the principle, ' Never go to your Prince
when you are not summoned.' But the missionary
who had received him so kindly, Dr. Shaw, known,
on account of his lean little figure, by the name of
Mzara Mkiuno,* had persuaded him that a man of his
importance might venture into the lion's den. And
Tippoo Tib went, and cannot find words to express
his praise of the honourable reception prepared for
him by the man to whom even the Vali of Tabora
went with trembling. ' We asked each other after
our health, and he offered me tea and coffee. When
I left I pitched my camp at the watering-place near
him. He sent me all sorts of things and seven
oxen to make me quite content.'

Our hero is always happy when he can dilate as
lengthily as possible on his good relations with
Europeans, less in order to proclaim his loyalty
than to display the diplomatic penetration with

♦ A Kinyamwezi expression, meaning ' hunger in the back.'

234 TIPPOO TIB

which he, first among his countryraen, recognized
the superior power of the Westerners and the value
of being on good terms with them.

As Billow was recalled from his post soon after
Tippoo Tib's arrival, they determined to travel to
the coast together. But when all was prepared for
a start, Tippoo Tib was attacked by acute dysentery,
which stretched him for a long time on a bed of
sickness. For four months he hovered between life
and death, and it was only through the untiring care
of the White Fathers at Kipalapala that he eventu-
ally recovered. Scarcely had he recovered than
he set out to appear as soon as possible before the
English court. On the day after the Pilgrims'
Festival of 1308 (end of July, 1891) he left Tabora,
though still so weak that he had to be carried on a
litter. After two days he was jiist able to mount a
donkey. It is a remarkable fact, worthy of special
notice, that this was the first time that he had used
any animal for riding ; his previous long journeys
had all been covered on foot.

At Mpapwa the missionaries told him a strange
story of his friend Stanley. He had, it appears,
spread the report in Europe that Jameson had
bought a girl slave at Yambtiya, and in his presence
had her killed and devoured by the Manyema. The
story naturally evoked general indignation, and
Jameson's widow went herself with her brother-
in-law to Africa to collect on the spot proofs of
the groundlessness of the accusations made against
her late husband. While Mrs. Jameson remained
behind at Zanzibar, her brother-in-law equipped an
expedition to meet Tippoo Tib, and question him as

STANLEY'S SLANDEES 235

to what he knew of the matter. He turned back,
however, at Mpapwa, presumably because he was
by then fully convinced that the whole horrible
story, by which his brother's good name had been
endangered, was a malevolent fabrication.

Doctunentary evidence as to this episode is un-
happily not at my disposal, but it is mentioned also
by the well-known writer Henryk Sienkiewicz, who
was staying at Zanzibar at the same time as Mrs.
Jameson, in his ' Letters from Africa ' (pp. 114
et seq.) — the silliest work, I may remark, that was
ever written on African matters. He reports that
Jameson had been universally condemned on the
strength of Stanley's story, which was believed, and
that the position of his widow in the English com-
munity was a most painful one.

Tippoo Tib was beside himself when he heard of
these accusations, and gave vent to his feelings in
the following terms : ' The story is a lie. I was not
there, but neither saw nor heard anything of it tiU
to-day among you. That he — Jameson — could do
such a thing is absolutely impossible. Or do you
think that I would tolerate such a thing? But
I have never seen a European or any other being
that could lie like this fellow. And how can the
people judge whether he is lying ?'

And he went on furiously soliloquizing : ' All the
great kindnesses that I showed him were not enough
for him — by way of thanks he wants to drown me
now as well. I had a specimen in the promises
that he made me : " When I get to Europe I do not
know what I shall not give you, for I shall obtain
boundless wealth and great influence." And he

236 TIPPOO TIB

sent me his photograph ! And when we met again
he presented me at Cape Town with a dog. I at
once passed it on to Jameson. It was a wretched
little dog. I knew that he was a liar. No, it was
not enough for him to malign me after his cheating.
He maligned a dead man — Jameson — as well.'

On the further march through Usagara, Tippoo
Tib received a letter from the Governor, inviting
him to a consultation. He reached the coast at
Bagamoyo, and was, as he again proudly mentions,
received with high honour by the Head of the District,
Schmidt. Then Freiherr von Soden came himself
to fetch him to Dar-es-Salaam, the new capital.
After he had stayed there a few days he crossed to
Zanzibar.

The period appointed by the court had, of
course, long since expired, but of all the threats
that had been set forth in its summons none
had come to pass. Stanley had failed in his
accusations, and his own agent, the representative
of Smith, Mackenzie and Co., invited Tippoo Tib to
his house, where a joint document was signed, by
which Tippoo Tib and Stanley withdrew their
respective demands. The matter was thus finally
settled. ' But few Europeans inquired about it,
owing to Stanley's lies in the Jameson affair.'

CHAPTER XVI

COLLAPSE OF THE ARAB POWER

' As if whipped by invisible spirits, the sun-horses of Time
break away with the light chariot of our fate, and nothing is
left us but bravely and calmly to hold fast the reins, and guide
the wheels now right, now left, to avoid here a stone and there
an overthrow. Whither the way lies, who knows ? He
scarcely remembers whence he came.'- — ^Gobthe : Egmont.

Since that time Tippoo Tib lias made no more
joTirneys to tlie interior ; he was spared the spectacle
of the complete collapse of the Arab power in the
districts he had ruled. As mentioned in the previous
chapter, Emin had on August 1 hoisted the German
flag at Tabora, and soon after Lieutenant Sigi estab-
lished a permanent station there. His position was
not an easy one, for the Arabs, who at first readily
accepted the German domination, had been enraged
to the utmost by the news that the Pasha had
executed several of their countrymen on the Victoria
Nyanza, and through them the chief Sike, who
had only submitted unwillingly, was once more
encouraged to resistance.

As long as Sigl himself was head of the station
peace was at least outwardly preserved. After he
was relieved Sike proceeded to open hostilities. On
Jujie 6, 1892, an attempt was made by Sigl's suc-

237

238 TIPPOO TIB

cessor, Dr. Schwesinger, with the aid of the anti-
slavery expedition under Count Schweinitz, which
was there at the time, to storm Quikuru, the chief's
boma; but it failed, and various subsequent engage-
ments brought no decided success. At length, on
January 13, 1893, Lieutenant Prince succeeded, after
a fierce fight, in storming Sike's stronghold, when
the chief himself and many of his adherents lost their
lives by an explosion.

It is worthy of mention that during these con-
flicts Tippoo Tib's stepmother, Nyaso, constantly
showed herself well disposed towards the Germans ;
indeed, she actively supported the last decisive
assault by supplying eighty carriers.

Upon Sike's death the German rule in Tabora
was permanently established. Sigl, who soon after-
wards again took over the control of the station,
could now proceed to extend our influence further
westward. The road to Tanganyika was by no
means secure, and complaints of the plundering of
caravans were still constantly coming in ; mmierous
local chiefs were at feud with each other, and so
caused disorder in their own and the neighbouring
territories. To add to this came the announcement
that Muhammed bin Khalfan Rumalisa, the so-called
Vali of Ujiji, in the presence of a numerous gather-
ing, had torn up and trampled upon a German
flag presented to him by Emin, with threats of
war to the knife against the Germans. He was
also suspected — with good reason, as it afterwards
proved — of having supported the rebel Sike with an
armed force shortly before the decisive encounter.
His troops, however, were surprised by natives on

SIGL'S EXPEDITION 239

their entry into Urambo ; 200 men were slaughtered,
and the rest took to flight.

The Wahehe, too, who on August 17, 1891,
treacherously destroyed a strong expedition under
von Zalewski, commander of the constabtdary, Avere,
according to Tippoo Tib's statements, supported by
Rumalisa.

In order to take advantage as far as possible of
the widespread impression produced by the defeat
of Sike, Sigl determined to march at once to Tangan-
yika in person. He left. Tabora on June 19, restored
order everywhere on the way, reconciled various
Sultans to the German rule, and reached Ujiji on
July 24. A day's march short of that place the
Arabs came to meet him and assure him of their
loyalty. He hoisted the German flag at Ujiji, and
set up Msabbah bin Nyem el Shehebi as Vali, with
the consent of the inhabitants.

Rumalisa had thought it better not to await the
arrival of the German leader. True, in numerous
letters he had given expression to his unalterable
friendship ; but he must have had a bad conscience
with regard to his former intrigues, for, without
informing his fellow-tribesmen, he crossed the
lake in a small boat, and, as we shall see later,
gave much trouble to the Belgians, whom no less
than the Germans he regarded as his natural
enemies.

This expedition of Sigl's effectively subdued the
German sphere of interest as far as its extreme
western frontier. Meanwhile the Belgians had not
been idle in making their control a reahty in all the
districts reserved for them. In the south, during

240 TIPPOO TIB

the years 1891-1892, the expeditions of Stairs,
Delcomxaune, and Bia subjugated the territory of
Katanga ; in order to secure tlae north and north-
east as well, the explorer Van Kerkhove in 1890
made an expedition from Stanley Pool as far as the
frontier of Wadelai. On the upper Aruwimi he
had many conflicts with slave-stealers, on whom,
being provided with an excellent military equipment,
he inflicted crushing defeats. The tidings of them
roused the anger of the Arabs established on the
middle Congo, who were aU more or less connected
with the traders, and felt that the damage done to
the latter in their calling must seriously affect them-
selves. Mwinyi Mohara, the head of the slave-
traders at Nyangwe, stirred up a general rising,
and at his instigation, in May, 1892, the European
Hodister, who lay with a trading expedition on the
Congo, south of Stanley Falls, was murdered. The
events that resulted from this act of violence, and
ended in the total coUapse of the Arab power to the
west of Tanganyika as well, are thus described by
Tippoo Tib :

' The Belgians, in order to avenge Hodister's
death, called on Sef, who, as all knew, represented
his father at Stanley Falls, to take arms against
Mvdnyi Mohara. Sef, who by open hostility towards
that influential slave- and ivory-trader Avould, of
course, have alienated all his fellow-tribesmen,
replied that he could not venttire on such an im-
portant step without consulting his father. There-
upon the Belgians broke off the negotiations, and
came to terms with Ngongo Luteta. '

This man was, as may be remembered, a slave of

TIPPOO TIB'S VIEWS AS TO THE AGGEESSOR 241

Tippoo Tib's, and had been placed by his master
as his representative in his most especial domain of
Utetera, between the Lomami and the Congo. After
Tippoo Tib's departure from Stanley Falls, he
became fairly independent, and ventured on various
raids into the territory on the left bank of the
Lomami. The Belgians, therefore, made war on
him, and after he had been several times defeated,
in the middle of 1892 he submitted to Commandant
Dhanis, Avho then established a military post in
the immediate neighbourhood of his chief town,
Ngandu.

Sef — so Tippoo Tib declares — knew nothing of the
peace between Ngongo Luteta and the Belgians.
He was indignant that a vassal of his father's, after
committingvarious other acts outside his prerogative,
should have carried on war on his own account. He
tried several times to indiice Ngongo Luteta to give
way, but the latter simply had Sef's messengers
knocked on the head. Sef thus found himself com-
pelled to advance in arms against the recalcitrant
slave. Then, to his astonishment, the Belgians,
towards whom he had no hostile intentions, suddenly
intervened on behalf of Ngongo Luteta. He was
thus forced into war with them against his will and
simply through a misunderstanding.

So Tippoo Tib, cautiously as he expresses him-
self, throws the blame of beginning hostilities on
the Belgians, who conspired with his vassal behind
his son's back. It is hardly conceivable that Sef,
who, as successor to his father at Stanley Falls, was
in the closest touch with the Government of the Free
State, could have been ignorant of the rapprochement

16

242 TIPPOO TIB

between Ngongo Luteta and the Belgians ; more
especially, the fact that Dhanis had established a
station near Ngandu cannot have remained unknown
to him, and must have given him matter for reflection.
Tippoo Tib's account is obviously the outcome of a
desire to relieve his son of the responsibility for
events which he himself doubtless deeply regretted.

It has often been contended that Tippoo Tib as
Vali of the Congo State always played a double
game, but proofs have not yet been adduced of this
imputation. When he accepted the appointment
offered him by Stanley, he certainly did so with the
intention of rescuing whatever was possible in the
districts he had once ruled over. That he could not
hold these by force of arms against the Belgians as
they pressed forward from the West he had long
since convinced himself, knowing as he did the
superior resources of the Europeans ; nor did the
temporary successes which during his absence the
Arabs achieved in their struggle with the Belgians
lead him astray on that head. He knew that after
the loss of their station they would come with a
fresh mihtary levy, and recover their lost ground
with interest. Thus it remained, as matters stood,
the most advantageous plan for the Arabs to live
at peace with the Europeans as long as they pos-
sibly could. There was business enough stiU to be
done in little frequented regions of boundless
extent. There was ivory everywhere in rich abun-
dance, and the new masters could not at one blow
sweep away the lucrative slave trade.

It was certainly not an easy position which Tippoo
Tib occupied as intermediary between the two con-

INFLUENCE OF TIPPOO TIB 243

flicting elements, but the respect he enjoyed among
his countrymen as a member of an old Arab family
and the lord of thousands of slaves, the superior
astuteness Avith which he always recognised the right
course, and the steadiness of old age, which kept
him from imprudences, enabled him to reconcile
differences that it seemed impossible to bridge over.
Had he not been on the spot for several years as the
vassal of the Congo State, the fire that smouldered
under the ashes would certainly have burst out
sooner. Let us try to realize the situation : On the
one side the Arabs, the ancient masters of the
country, who for years had carried on a call-
ing which, according to their views, was justifiable ;
on the other, an intruding European Power, which
endeavoured step by step to restrict them in the
exercise of what they conceived to be their fairly
won rights. The contrasts were too sharp for a
lasting peace to be possible.

As soon as Tippoo Tib left the scene and his
personal influence vanished with him, there was
bound sooner or later to be a catastrophe. The
Arabs from their standpoint needed no excuse if they
at length took arms ; nor does any reproach attach
to Tippoo Tib's youthful son Sef for allowing him-
self to be induced by the insistence of the Arabs,
whose most vital interests were affected, to attack
the Belgians. A day of reckoning between Arabs
and Europeans in those districts was a historical
necessity, which had been postponed through the
influence of a great personality, but could not be
wholly avoided.

Let us, then, leave it an open question whether

16—2

244 TIPPOO TIB

Sef desired war with the Belgians or not ; in any
case, by his attack on Ngongo Luteta hostilities
were commenced, and events took the course which
they were bound to take. * It was decreed that the
matter should end ill,' says the fatalist auto-
biographer.

In detail the course of the struggle was as
follows :•■■" Sef, for reasons which we will leave
undetermined, had attacked Ngongo Luteta. The
Belgians, who had received in good time informa-
tion of the enemy's intentions, came to the rescue
of their new vassal, and Sef and his bands, who had
pressed forward to the Lomami, after sharp fighting
from November, 1892, to January 11, 1893, were
driven back to the Congo. Mwinyi Mohara, who
had taken part in the campaign, was killed, and a
nephew of Tippoo Tib's, Sef bin Juma, was drowned
in the Lomami.

Dhanis, the leader of the Belgian troops, pursued
the Arabs, and encamped opposite Nyangwe, on the
left bank of the Congo, on January 29, 1893. The
river is at that point 120 yards wide, and he could not
cross it, for the Arabs had taken all their boats
across with them. He therefore contented himself
with bombarding the settlements of the Arabs from
his side of the stream. The latter, however, rashly
assumed the offensive by crossing the river and
establishing two camps opposite the position of the
Belgians. They were routed by Dhanis after a
day's fighting, and had to flee back to the right
bank. By this success the Belgians gained the

* Cf., for the sketch that follows, the periodical Le Mouve-
ment Gilographique for February 4, 1884.

CONQUEST OF KASSONGO 245

sympatties of the natives, who now aided them by
bringing to the spot the boats necessary for crossing
the stream. On March 4 Nyangwe fell, without
further fighting, into Dhanis's hands.

At Kassongo the news of the defeat of the Arabs
on the Lomami and the death of Mwinyi Mohara
evoked great bitterness. It had been erroneously
reported that Tippoo Tib's son had also fallen.
Fugitives had, it appears, reported that his mtoto
(which means son as well as nephew) Sef had lost
his life. The Arabs and natives, who at the name
Sef thought first of the son of our hero, were
convinced that he was a victim of the conflict, and
out of revenge murdered the Europeans living in
Kassongo.

After giving his troops a short rest at Nyangwe,
Dhanis marched against Kassongo on April 17,
and captured it, with the help of Ngongo Luteta, on
the 22nd of that month, after furious fighting. In
wild flight the Arabs abandoned the field, and
many of them were drowned in the River Musokoi.
A great booty fell into the hands of the victors,
amongst other things 3 tons of ivory, 20 hundred-
weight of powder, and as many repeating rifles. A
lucky find was made here, too, in the discovery of
the last leaves of the diary of Emin Pasha, who had
been murdered meanwhile.

While the Arabs were thus harried in the southern
districts, in the north also Lieutenant Chaltin
had conducted an expedition against the insurgents
from Basoko, the junction of the Lomami and the
Congo. He had steamed up the Congo and the
Lomami, had there taken possession, without a

246 TIPPOO TIB

blow, of the settlements of Yangi, Bena, Kamba,
and Lomo, which the Arabs had abandoned, and
finally, on April 22, marched overland to the Arab
station of Riba Riba, on the left bank of the Congo,
which he also found deserted. He rightly reflected
that the fugitive Arabs must have retired to their
headquarters at Stanley Falls, and from Bena
Kamba he proceeded thither on board the steamer
Ville de Bruxelles, which was at his disposal. On the
way, near the mouth of the Lomami, a letter reached
him from Tobbak, the Commandant of Stanley
Falls, which showed that his surmise was quite
correct.

The Arabs there had received intelligence of the
defeats of their compatriots at Nyangwe and Kas-
songo, and were now gathering all their available
fighting strength to strike a decisive blow at the
Europeans. After various minor skirmishes, the
Dutch factory was attacked during the night of
May 11. Next day the settlement of the Belgian
Upper Congo Company was occupied by the Shensis
in the service of the Arabs, two Government boats
were fired on, and an attack on the station itself
attempted.

Tobbak was holding out with difficulty against
superior numbers, when on the 18th, at the moment
of his greatest extremity, the Ville de Bruxelles
drew near with the longed-for relief force under
Chaltin. On its appearance the- Arabs took to
flight, and the town remained in the hands of the
Europeans. About the middle of Jiily Commandant
Ponthier, who had returned from leave in Europe,
took the station of Kirundu, above Stanley Falls.

EUMALISA'S CONFLICTS ON TANGANYIKA 247

The insiTTgents suffered a severe defeat : twenty-eiglit
chiefs were taken prisoners and 1,000 rifles fell into
the hands of the victors.

Thus the power of the Arabs on the Congo was
shattered. Such of them as escaped retreated to
Tanganyika, and there joined the forces of Rumalisa,
who meanwhile had resumed his baffled plan of
attacking the Belgians westward of the lake.
As he had some 3,000 rifles at his disposal, he was
able for some time to press hard on Captain Jaques,
who was in those parts. But the latter summoned
reinforcements, and with the help of two ofiicers,
Delcommune and Joubert, succeeded, in September,
1892, in driving the Arab partisan back on Albert-
ville.

When the fugitives from Kassongo arrived,
Rumalisa once more marshalled a strong army, and
marched with it to meet the advancing Belgians
imder Dhanis and Ponthier. On October 20, 1893,
a sanguinary engagement took place on the river
Luama, ending, after heavy losses on both sides,
in a decisive victory for the Europeans. The
Belgians lost their commander Ponthier, who a
few days later succumbed to wounds received
in the action. Tippoo Tib's son Sef also, with
numerous other Arabs, paid for the attack with
his life.

This blow broke the power of the Arabs westward
of Tanganyika as well, and such of the survivors as
did not fall into the hands of the victors took their
way through German territory back to their homes,
and since then have never attempted open resistance
to the European power.

248 TIPPOO TIB

In truth, in tlie time tliat followed this would have
been scarcely possible. On July 2, 1890, the Anti-
slavery Conference at Brussels had adopted its well-
known General Declaration, which, in the endeavour
to cope with the ravages of the African slave trade,
contained strict regulations as to the trade in fire-arms
and ammunition as well. The Belgians, who pre-
viously used to sell Tippoo Tib and his people powder
in unlimited quantities, now, after the woeful experi-
ences that they had had in the matter, of course
stood out for the exact observance of these regula-
tions.

Tippoo Tib was kept au courant of all the warlike
events in his former province by his adherents, but
we may implicitly believe his assurance that he had
no share in the hostilities — nay, on the contrary,
regretted them. All letters that came in he laid
before the German and British Consuls for their
information. Through their reports, by the round-
about way of Zanzibar, many occurrences were
known in Europe before they became officially
public via Brussels.

Our hero saw plainly that he could no longer
check the course of events, and bore the many
losses which befell him personally with the stoical
calm of the Miihammedan. The war had cost him
4,500 frasilas of ivory, 700 loads of stufE for
garments, and 20,000 muskets. He could, however,
console himself with the treasures which he had
gradually placed in safety. Numerous shambas and
houses in Zanzibar and on the coast were his
property.

But even these were now for the most part to be

TIPPOO TIB'S LAWSUITS 249

subject to dispute. Rumalisa, who escaped with
his bare life from the disastrous fights on Tan-
ganyika, had fled by secret ways (for he dreaded the
vengeance of the Germans) to the coast, and had been
taken across to Zanzibar in a fishing-boat ; he now
came forward suddenly with a claim to the effect that
Tippoo Tib owed him a quarter of his fortune. He
produced a document setting forth that he, Tippoo
Tib, and Bwana Nzige had formed a partnership,
by which all profits that they might earn were to be
divided between them ; Tippoo Tib was to receive
a half, the other two a quarter apiece.

Our hero has always disputed the authenticity of
this document, as did his cousin Bwana Nzige.
They both declared that their signatures appended
to it were forgeries. The result was a lengthy
lawsuit before the court at Dar-es-Salaam, which
Rumalisa won. This decision gave rise to a long
contest as to the amount of the quarter to be handed
over by Tippoo Tib, ending in a judicial settlement
by which Tippoo Tib gave up his whole property on
the coast to his opponent, the particular items being
specified in an inventory.

It soon proved, however, that various objects of
value transferred by him did not exist, amongst
others a quantity of ivory supposed to be buried at
Itahua, and a claim for a debt of 6,000 dollars. As
Tippoo Tib, who is a Zanzibari subject, was no
longer liable, after the surrender of his property
on the coast, to be sued in the German colony,
Rumalisa raised a claim in the Sultan's court for com-
pensation for the valuables not forthcoming. Accord-
ing to the principles obtaining, he was recognised

250 TIPPOO TIB

as a German subject, and his plaint was supported
by the German Consulate, which, took advantage of
its treaty rights to have the sittings of the court
watched by a representative, and the present writer,
to whom this duty was allotted, was thus for the first
time enabled to make the acquaintance of the hero
of this story, to be sure in somewhat unfriendly
wise. After a protracted litigation it was at last
declared in the court of appeal by the Sultan himself
that the defendant, in fulfilment of the settlement,
must pay a further sum of 6,000 dollars.

The plaintiff, it must be admitted, was not much
the gainer thereby. The sum adjiidged him was for
the most part swallowed up by the lawyer's fees,
and so many creditors were lying in wait for the
remainder that soon after his success he announced
his bankruptcy, which is still pending before the
district court of Dar-es-Salaam. Tippoo Tib con-
soled himself with the thought that the old proverb,
' Mali ya haramu yanakwenda nyia ya haramu ' —
Ill-gotten gains never prosper — had once more
been verified.

Yet another lawsuit gave the Sheikh a great deal
of trouble. The heirs of his business friend Taria
Topan, who had died towards the end of the eighties,
declared that at the time of his death Tippoo Tib
still owed him 15,000 rupees, and brought an action
for this sum. The examination of the books ordered
by the court showed that, on the contrary, our hero
had still 35,000 rupees to receive from his banker.
He now 'turned the spear the other way,' and
claimed of Taria's grandson, Saleh, who had taken
over the business later on, not only the payment of

TIPPOO TIB'S LAWSUITS 251

this amount, but of a further considerable sum which
was due to him from their later business connec-
tions. As a result he not long since obtained a
valid judgment for the not inconsiderable amoimt
of 300,000 rupees ; but he will not set eyes on
much of this money, for Saleh has long since
run through his inheritance from his grand-
father.

On the other hand, all this litigation has entailed
heavy sacrifices on our hero. The English lawyer
who acted for him pocketed the magnificent fee of
20,000 rupees (about £1,350) for his pains.

Tippoo Tib has not again come to the fore
politically since his final retiu-n to Zanzibar, but, as
in his earlier years, he has always tried to be on
good terms with the rulers for the time being.
Seyyid Ali, who was ruling on his arrival, had long
been his personal friend, and always treated him
with goodwill, even though, as Tippoo Tib com-
plains, he was avaricious and not over-free with
presents to his favourites. Hamed bin Thweni,
who succeeded him, was ill-disposed to Tippoo Tib,
because he had once outbid him at the purchase of
a shamha on which the Prince had cast his eye.
Not till shortly before Hamed's death were the
relations between them improved.

It is well known that when this Sultan died,
Seyyid Burghash's youthful son Khalid endeavoured
to ascend the throne, contrary to the wish of the
protecting Power. He garrisoned the palace, and a
whole English squadron was needed to drive him out
of it. When further resistance proved impossible
the young Prince fled from the building, which was

252 TIPPOO TIB

collapsing over his head, to the German Consulate,
and, after finding refuge there for a month, was
conveyed across to Dar-es-Salaam in a German man-
of-war, where he now lives as the guest of the
Empire, and dreams of his past splendour as
Sultan.

Tippoo Tib was on terms of most cordial friend-
ship with the energetic and warm-hearted son of his
former patron, and honestly strove to restrain him
from the folly of bidding defiance with his handful
of warriors to a great European Power. In the
certainty that such resistance would be unsuccessful,
he kept aloof from the struggle, which brought
financial ruin on many highly - placed Arabs,
whose participation in it was visited by heavy
fines.

His cousin Hamud bin Muhammed was appointed
Hamed's successor. He formed a close friendship
Avith Tippoo Tib, and always reckoned him one of
his confidential advisers. On two journeys which
he made to the African mainland the Sheikh was
among his few companions.

Since Hamud's death, which took place in 1904,
his son Ali, a minor, has been reigning ; but he is
under the guardianship of the English Premier, and
as yet has little say in the affairs of government.
As he was brought up in English fashion, he is but
little in touch with Arab circles.

Tippoo Tib is, nevertheless, still an important
personage in the Council of Zanzibar, and where it
is a question of doing something for the country he
is one of the first to be asked his views. In his
mockingly superior way he is wont on such

TIPPOO TIB IN EETIEEMBNT 253

occasions to be not at all backward with his
opinion.

He knows, however, that the times of Arab
glory are past, and possesses no further political
ambition. With the youthful activity which he has
preserved even into his old age, this man of nearly
seventy attends tmtiringly to his numerous personal
affairs. His fortune stiU amounts to £50,000 in
round figures, and is very advantageously invested
in stone houses and landed property.

His longing is some day to behold the magic land
of Europe, of whose splendour he had a foretaste at
Cape Town. A pilgrimage is also still expected of
him by Allah, for the Koran lays down that every
Moslem whose means admit of it should at least
once in his life undertake the journey to the holy
city of Mecca.

His idea is to combine the two journeys, and as
in his robust old age he still counts on many more
years of life, he hopes to be able, sooner or later, to
carry out the plan. ' In sha Allah ! '

Tippoo Tib died at Zanzibar, of malaria, on
June 13, 1905. The death of Wissmann followed
on the very next day ; that of Stanley had taken
place a year earlier. Thus within a brief period of
time three of the most striking personalities among
those who wrested its secrets from the Dark Con-
tinent have passed away.

Dwellers at a distance may find something strange
in this juxtaposition of the slave-hunter's name with
those of the two world-famed explorers ; to one who

254 TIPPOO TIB

has followed the destinies of our hero it will be
intelligible enough. Tippoo Tib was no dainty
draughtsman, yet the paths traced out by his blood-
stained hand have supplied the framework for all
the subsequent cartography of German East Africa
and the Congo Free State. Thus a life-work of
destruction has served to aid the advance of
civilization.

THE END

BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTEKS, GUILDFORD

Telegrams : 41 and 43 Maddox Street,

' Scholarly, London.' Bond Street, London, W.,

January, 1907-

Mr. Edward Arnold's

List of New Books.

MEMORIES.

By Major-General SIR OWEN TUDOR BURNE,
G.C.LE., K.C.S.L

Demy 8w. With Illustrations. 15s. net.

Sir Owen Burne joined the 20th Regiment (now the Lancashire
Fusiliers) in 1855. He came in for the end of the Crimean War and
served throughout the Indian Mutiny, receiving two steps in rank
for gallantry in the field. Not long afterwards he became Military
Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Hugh Rose. He was
Private Secretary to Lord Mayo until his assassination, and made
a personal report on that tragic event to the Queen. Later he
became Secretary in the Political and Secret Department of the
India Office. He was also Private Secretary to Lord Lytton,
when Viceroy, and served ten years as a member of the Council
of India.

An interesting chapter of Sir Owen's reminiscences deals with the
year 1873, when, as Political A.D.C. to the Secretary of State for
India, he assisted Sir Henry Rawlinson in taking charge of the
Shah of Persia during his visit to England. Copious extracts are
given from His Majesty's diary, which has come into Sir Owen's
hands.

The book is a lively record of a distinguished career, freely inter-
spersed with amusing stories, and illustrated with photographs of
some noteworthy groups.

LONDON : EDWARD ARNOLD 41 & 43 MADDOX STREET. W.

'I Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

SOME PROBLEMS OF EXISTENCE.

By NORMAN PEARSON.

Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d. net.

Dealing with such Problems of Existence as the origin of life,
spirit and matter, free will, determinism and morality, and the sense
of sin, Mr. Pearson lays down as postulates for a theory which
philosophy and religion may be able to accept, and which science
need not reject — (i) the existence of a Deity; (2) the immortality of
man ; and (3) a Divine scheme of evolution of which we form part,
and which, as expressing the purpose of the Deity, proceeds under
the sway of an inflexible order. The author's method is well calcu-
lated to appeal to the general reader, though some of his conclusions
as to the past and future of humanity differ considerably from
popularly received opinions on the subject.

SIX RADICAL THINKERS.

By JOHN MacCUNN, LL.D.,

Professor of Philosophy in the University of Livkkpool.

Crown 8vo. 6s. net.

These brilliant essays possess an exceptional interest at the
present moment when Liberal and Radical principles bulk so largely
in the political arena. The six main subjects of Professor MacCunn's
volume are Bentham and his Philosophy of Reform, the Utilitarian
Optimism of John Stuart Mill, the Commercial Radicalism of
Cobden, the Anti- Democratic Radicalism of Thomas Carlyle, the
Religious Radicalism of Joseph Mazzini, and the Political Idealism
of T. H. Green.

LETTERS FROM THE FAR EAST.

By Sir CHARLES ELIOT, K.C.M.G.,

Author of 'Turkey in Europe,' 'The East African Protectorate,' etc.

Demy 8vo. With Illustrations. 8s. 6d. net-

This is an exceedingly interesting series of letters on the political
and social situation in India, China, Japan, and the Far East
generally.

Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books 3

A PICNIC PARTY IN WILDEST
AFRICA.

By C. W. L: BULPETT.

:Belng a Sftetcb ot a "imiinter's Ztip to some of tbc TUnftnown TMlatcre
of tbe xnppcr mile.

Demy 8vo. With Illustrations and Map. 12s. 6d. net.

The object of the expedition described in this book was to survey
the Musha and Boma plateaux, which lie between the River Akobo
and Lake Rudolf. It was organized by Mr. W. N. McMillan, an
experienced American traveller, and was remarkably successful,
though the fact that one of the caravans marched thirty-eight days
on half-rations, largely through a country flooded by incessant rain,
shows that the excursion was very far from being altogether a picnic.
Mounts Ungwala and Naita were ascended, and hundreds of square
miles of previously unexplored country were surveyed and mapped.
The accounts of the abundance of game will make the sportsman's
mouth water.

A considerable amount of the descripton of scenery and life on the
Nile and Sobat is extracted from the journal of Mrs. McMillan, who
accompanied her husband. Many of the illustrations are from
drawings made on the spot by Mr. Jessen, cartographer of the
expedition.

TIPPOO TIB.

3;be Stors of a Central Bfrican Deepot.

Narrated from his own accounts by Dr. HEINRICH BRODE.

Demy 8vo. With Portrait. 10s. 6d. net.

In the course of a prolonged residence at Zanzibar as consular
representative of Germany, Dr. Brode became intimately acquainted
with the celebrated adventurer Tippoo Tib, and succeeded in
inducing him to write the story of his life. This he did, in Swaheli,
using Arabic characters, which Dr. Brode transcribed for translation
into German. The material thus supplied by Tippoo Tib has been
expanded by Dr. Brode into a remarkable picture of Africa before
and during its transition into the hands of the white man.

4 Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

THE PRINCES OF ACHAIA AND THE
CHRONICLES OF MORE A.

a StiiOB ot ©reece in tbc ^t&Dle ages.
By Sir RENNELL RODD, G.C.V.O., K.C.M.G., C.B.,

Author of ' Customs and Lore of Modern Greece,' ' Feda, and other Poems,'
' The Unknown Madonna,' * Ballads of the Fleet,' etc.

2 Volumes. Demy 8vo. With Illustrations and Map. 25s. net.

In this masterly work Sir Rennell Rodd deals with a curiously
interesting and fascinating subject which has never been treated of
in English, though a few scanty notices of the period may be found.
It is gratifying to know that the British School in Athens has of
late turned its attention to the Byzantine and Prankish remains in
the Morea. Meanwhile this book will fill a great blank in the
historical knowledge of most people.

THUCYDIDES MYTHISTORICUS.

By F. M. CORNFORD, M.A.,

Fellow and Lecturer at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Demy 8fo. los. 6d. net.

This is an important contribution to the study of Thucydides.
Having attributed the causes of the Peloponnesian War almost en-
tirely to commercial factors, Mr. Cornford shows how Thucydides,
free from modern ideas of causation, unfolds the tragedy of Athens,
led by Fortune at Pylos, by the Hybris and Infatuation of Cleon and
Alcibiades, to the Nemesis of Syracuse. The book will be found
interesting by all students of history. All passages from Greek
authors are quoted in English in the text, which can be understood
without reference to the Greek in the footnotes.

GREEK LIVES FROM PLUTARCH.

Newly Translated by C. E. BYLES, B.A.,

Formerly Exhibitioner of St. John's College, Cambridge.

Crown %vo. With Illustrations and Maps. is. 6d.

This is an entirely new translation abridged from the Greek.
Although primarily intended for the use of schools, it should be
found acceptable by the general reader.

Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books 5

THE NEXT STREET BUT ONE.

By M. LOANE,

Author of 'The Queen's Poor.'

Crown divo. 6s.

Like its predecessor, this book is not only a mine of interesting
and amusing sketches of life among the poor, but, in its more serious
aspect, a remarkable and most valuable corrective of many widely
prevalent and erroneous views about the habits of thought and ethics
of the poorer classes.

A HUNTING CATECHISM.

By COLONEL R. F. MEYSEY-THOMPSON,

Author of 'Reminiscences of the Course, the Camp, and the Chase,' 'A Fishing
Catechism," and 'A Shooting Catechism.'

Foolscap Sfo. ^s. 6d. net.

This, the third of Colonel Meysey-Thompson's invaluable hand-
books, will appeal to hunting men as strongly as the previous
volumes did to lovers of rod and gun. The information given is
absolutely practical, the result of forty years' experience, and is
largely conveyed in the form of Question and Answer. The arrange-
ment is especially calculated to facilitate easy reference.

AT THE WORKS.

a StuJig of a mottb Countrg Zomx.
By LADY BELL,

Author op 'The Dean of St. Patrick's,' 'The Arbiter," etc., etc.

Crown 8w. 6s.

In this little book Lady Bell has entered upon a new branch of
literature. It is not a novel, but a description of the industrial and
social condition of the ironworkers of the North Country.

6 Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP

AND THE GROWTH OF MODERN

CIVILIZATION.

Being HENRI DE TOURVILLE'S ' Histoire de la Formation
Particulariste,' translated by M. G. Loch.

Demy 8vo.

The articles which are here presented in the form of a volume
were contributed by the author to the French periodical La Science
Sociale over a period of six years ending in February, 1903. His
death occurred within a few days of his completing the work.
M. de Tourville, after showing that the transformation of the
communal into the particularist family took place in Scandinavia,
and was largely due to the pecuHar geographical character of the
Western slope, traces the development of modern Europe from the
action of the particularist type of society upon the fabric of Roman
civilization.

MEMORIES OF THE MONTHS.

FOURTH SERIES.

By the Right Hon. Sir HERBERT MAXWELL, Bart., F.R.S.

Large crown Svo. With Photogravure Illustrations, js. 6d.

This fresh instalment of Sir Herbert Maxwell's delightful
' Memories of the Months ' will be welcomed by lovers of his
descriptions of country life.

NEW EDITION.

LETTERS OF
MARY SIBYLLA HOLLAND.

Selected and Edited by her son, BERNARD HOLLAND.

Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d. net.

To this, the third, edition of these attractive letters, Mr. Bernard
Holland has added a large number of new letters, which were not
included in the second edition, having been found or contributed
since the date of its publication. The book is now in its final and
complete form.

Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books 7

THE REMINISCENCES OF
LADY DOROTHY NEVILL.

Edited by her Son, RALPH NEVILL.
Demy 8vo. With Portrait. 15s. net.
SIXTH IMPRESSION.
There are very few persons living whose knowledge of English
Society is, literally, so extensive and peculiar as Lady Dorothy
Nevill's, and fewer still whose recollections of a period extending
from the day of the postchaise to that of the motor-car are as graphic
and entertaining as hers. In the course of her life she has met
almost every distinguished representative of literature, politics and
art, and about many of them she has anecdotes to tell which have
never before been made public. She has much to say of her intimate
friends of an earlier day — Disraeli, the second Duke of Wellingtoa,
Bernal Osborne, Lord Ellenborough, and a dozen others — while a
multitude of more modern personages pass in procession across her
light-hearted pages. A reproduction of a recent crayon portrait by
M. Cayron is given as frontispiece.

PERSONAL ADVENTURES AND
ANECDOTES OF AN OLD OFFICER.

By Colonel JAMES P. ROBERTSON, C.B.
Demy 8vo. With Portraits. 12s. 6d. net.

The phrase ' a charmed life ' is hackneyed, but it may be used
with peculiar appropriateness to describe Colonel Robertson's
military career. ' The history of my nose alone,' says the cheery
old soldier in his Preface, ' would fill a chapter,' and, indeed, not
only his nose, but his whole body, seem to have spent their time in,
at all events, running a risk of being seriously damaged in every
possible way. The book, in fact, is simply full of fine confused
fighting and hair-breadth escapes.

Joining the 31st Regiment in 1842, Colonel Robertson took part
in the Sutlej Campaign from Moodkee to Sobraon. He was in the
Crimea, and throughout the Mutiny he commanded a regiment of
Light Cavalry, doing repeatedly the most gallant service. The
incidents of life in Ireland and the Ionian Islands during the in-
tervals of peace are worthy of ' Charles O'Malley,' and are described
with something of Lever's raciness of touch.

8 My. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

THE AFTERMATH OF WAR.

an account of tbe IRcpatriation o( 3Bocrs an& IWatives tn the ©range

IRtver Colons.

By G. B. BEAK.

Demy 8vo. With Illustrations and Map. 12s. 6d. net.

The author, after serving nearly two and a half years in the South
African War, was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Orange
River Colony Repatriation Department, and subsequently Assistant
Director of Relief under the Government. His information is thus
not only first-hand but unique. The book is illustrated with some
extremely interesting photographs.

' The book is sure to become a standard work, for it throws a flood of light
upon and solves many of the knotty questions of that period which have agitated
men's minds at home and abroad.' — Daily Telegraph.

PATROLLERS OF PALESTINE.

By the Rev. HASKETT SMITH, M.A., F.R.G.S.

Editor op ' Murray's Handbook to Syria and Palestine,' igo2 ;

Large crown 8w. With Illustrations. los. 6d.

The late Mr. Haskett Smith was a well-known authority on the
Holy Land, and in this book he personally conducts a typical party
of English tourists to some of the more important sites hallowed by
tradition.

' The reader is not only charmed by the pleasant experiences and the interest-
ing discussions of the pilgrims, but at the same time he acquires a great deal of
information which would otherwise have to be sought in a combination of
cyclopaedia, "Speaker's Commentary," and guide-book.' — Tribune.

POLITICAL CARICATURES, 1906.

By Sir F. CARRUTHERS GOULD.

Super royal /[to. 6s. net.

The change of Government, with the consequent variety of political
topics, very greatly enhances the attraction of this new volume ol
cartoons by ' Sir F. C. G.' If the increased acerbity of political
relations is found to be slightly reflected in these later cartoons, the
many fresh and interesting studies are no less happily handled than
those produced under the Conservative regime.

Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

NEW FICTION.

Crown &V0. 6s. each.

THE SUNDERED STREAMS.

By REGINALD FARRER,

Author of "The Garden of Asia' and ' Tiee House of Shadows.'

BENEDICT KAVANAGH.

By GEORGE A. BIRMINGHAM,

Author of ' The Seething Pot ' and ' Hyacinth.'

THE GOLDEN HAWK.

By EDITH RICKERT,

Author of 'The Reaper' and 'Folly.
FOURTH IMPRESSION.

THE LADY ON
THE DRAWINGROOM FLOOR.

By M. E. COLERIDGE.

SECOND IMPRESSION.

THE MILLMASTER.

By C. HOLMES CAUTLEY.

SECOND IMPRESSION.

QUICKSILVER AND FLAME.

By ST. JOHN LUCAS.

SECOND IMPRESSION.

THE BASKET OF FATE.

By SIDNEY PICKERING.

OCCASION'S FORELOCK.

By VIOLET A. SIMPSON.

10 Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

ABYSSINIA OF TO-DAY.

Sn account of tbe fflrst /BSfsston sent bg tbe Smectcan (Sovernment
to tbe iRtng of IRtngs,

By ROBERT P. SKINNER,

Commissioner to Abyssinia, 1903-1904 : American Consol-General ; Fellow of the
American Geographical Society ; Soci dou Felibrige.

Demy 8vo. With numerous Illustrations and Map. 12s. 6d. net.

The object of this American Mission to the Emperor Menelik
was to negotiate a commercial treaty. The Mission was extremely
well received, and the expedition appears to have been a complete
success. The picture drawn by Mr. Skinner of the Abyssinians and
their ruler is an exceedingly agreeable one ; and his notes on this
land of grave faces, elaborate courtesy, classic tone, and Biblical
civilization, its history, politics, language, literature, religion, and
trade, are full of interest ; there are also some valuable hints on the
organization and equipment of a caravan.

WESTERN TIBET AND THE
BRITISH BORDERLAND.

By CHARLES A. SHERRING, M.A., F.R.G.S.,

Indian Civil Service ; Deputy Commissioner of Almora.

Royal 8vo. With Illustrations, Maps and Sketches. 21s. net.

During the last few years Tibet, wrapped through the centuries
in mystery, has been effectively ' opened up ' to the gaze of the
Western world, and already the reader has at his disposal an
enormous mass of information on the country and its inhabitants.
But there is in Western Tibet a region which is still comparatively
little known, which is especially sacred to the Hindu and Buddhist,
and in which curious myths and still more curious manners abound ;
and it is of this portion of the British Borderland, its government, and
the religion and customs of its peoples, that Mr. Sherring writes.

The book contains a thrilling account by Dr. T. G. Longstaff,
M.B., F.R.G.S., of an attempt to climb Gurla Mandhata, the highest
mountain in Western Tibet, with two Swiss guides.

Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books ii

LETTERS OF
GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL,

D.C.L., LL.D., Hon. Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford.
Arranged by his Daughter, LUCY CRUMP.

Demy 8w. With Portraits. 12s. 6d. net.

Dr. Birkbeck Hill's ' Letters ' form, with a few connecting links
written by his daughter, an autobiography whose charm lies in its
intimate portrayal of a character which was, in its curious intensity,
at once learned, tender, and humorous. He wrote as he talked, and
his talk was famous for its fund of anecdote, of humour, of deep
poetic feeling, of vigorous literary criticism, and no less vigorous
political sentiment. As an Oxford undergraduate, he was one of the
founders, together with Mr. Swinburne, Prof. A. V. Dicey, and
Mr. James Bryce, of the Old Mortality Club. He was intimately
connected also with the Pre-Raphaelites. At college, at home, on
the Continent, or in America, everywhere he writes with the pen of
one who observes everything, and who could fit all he saw that was
new into his vast knowledge of the past. His editions of ' Boswell's
Johnson,' of ' Johnson's Letters,' and ' The Lives of the Poets '
have passed into classical works. But that his writings were not
exclusively Johnsonian is abundantly shown by such books as the
Letters of Hume, Swift, General Gordon, and Rossetti, as well as
by his 'Life of Sir Rowland Hill,' his 'History of Harvard
University,' and various collections of essays.

LETTERS TO A GODCHILD

ON THE CATECHISM AND CONFIRMATION.

By ALICE GARDNER,

Associate and Lecturer of Newkham College, Cambridge ; Author of 'Friends of the
Olden Tims,' ' Theodore of Studium,' etc.

Foolscap %vo. 2s. 6d. net.
This series of actual Letters written to an actual Godchild on the
subject of Confirmation is intended for parents and teachers who
either feel that some of the instruction to be derived from the
Catechism is obscured by archaism of style and thought, or who
desire something in the way of a supplement to the Catechism. It
is not intended to take the place of works of formal religious in-
struction.

12 Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

TRANSLATIONS INTO LATIN AND
GREEK VERSE.

By H. A. J. MUNRO,

Sometime Feliow of Trinity College, and Professor of Latin in the University

OF Camdridge.

With a Prefatory Note by J. D. DUFF,

Fellow of Trinjtv College, Cambridge.

Medium 8vo. With a Portrait. 6s. net.

These translations were originally printed for private circulation in
the autumn of 1884, a few months before the author's death. They
were never published, and for years past the price asked for the
book second-hand has been high. It has therefore been decided,
with the consent of Munro's representatives, to reprint the work, so
that those who are interested in Latin Verse and in Munro may
acquire a copy at a reasonable price.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION.

THE QUEEN'S POOR.

%ite as tbeg flnO it in Zlown anD CounttB.

By M. LOANE.

Crown Svo. 3s. 6d.

Sir Arthur Clay, Bart., says of this book : ' I have had a good deal of ex-
perience of "relief " work, and I have never yet come across a book upon the
subject of the " poor " which shows such true insight and such a grasp of reality
in describing the life, habits, and mental attitude of our poorer fellow-citizens. . . .
The whole book is not only admirable from a common-sense point of view, but it is
extremely pleasant and interesting to read, and has the great charm of humour. '

NEW EDITION, ENTIRELY REWRITTEN.

PSYCHOLOGY FOR TEACHERS.

By C. LLOYD MORGAN, LL.D., F.R.S.,

Principal of University College, Bristol ;
Author of ' The Springs of Conduct,' ' Habit and Instinct,' etc.

Cfown 8vo. 4s. 6d.

For this edition, Professor Lloyd Morgan has entirely rewritten,
and very considerably enlarged, his well-known work on this impor-
tant subject. He has, in fact, practically made a new book of it.

Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books 13

MISREPRESENTATIVE WOMEN,

AND OTHER VERSES.
By HARRY GRAHAM,

Author of 'Ruthless Rhymes for Heaktless Homes,' 'Ballads of the Boer War,"

'MISREPRESENTATIVE MEN,' ' FiSCAL BALLADS,' ' VeRSE AND WoRSE," ETC.

Foolscap 4fo. With Illustrations by Dan Sayre Groesbeck. 5s.

Admirers of Captain Graham's ingenious and sarcastic verse will
welcome this fresh instalment, which contains, among the ' other
verses,' a number of ' Poetic Paraphrases ' and ' Open Letters ' to
popular authors.

THE LAND OF PLAY.

By MRS. GRAHAM WALLAS.

Crown 8vo. With Illustrations by Gilbert James. 3s. 6d.

The four stories which make up this delightful children's book are
entitled ' Luck-Child,' ' The Princess and the Ordinary Little Girl,'
' Professor Green,' and ' A Position of Trust.'

A SONG-GARDEN FOR CHILDREN.

a Collection of Cbfl&rcn's Songs

Adapted from the French and German by

HARRY GRAHAM and ROSA NEWMARCH.

The Music Edited and^Arranged by
NORMAN O'NEILL.

Imperial 8vo. Paper, as. 6d. net.
Cloth, gilt top. 4s. 6d. net.

This is a charming collection of forty-three French and German
songs for children translated and adapted by Capt. Graham and
Mrs. Newmarch. It includes nine songs arranged by J. Brahms for
the children of Robert and Clara Schumann.

14 ^y- Edward Arnold's List of New Books

A HANDBOOK OF SKIN DISEASES
AND THEIR TREATMENT.

By ARTHUR WHITFIELD, M.D. (Lond.), F.R.C.P.,

Professor of Dermatology at King's College ; Physician to the Skin Departments,
King's College and the Great Northern Central Hospitals.

Crown 8vo. With Ilhistvations. 8s. 6d. net.

This book is designed especially to meet the needs of those who
have to treat the commoner skin diseases. While giving short
descriptions of the rarer forms, the chief attention is bestowed on
those more frequently met with. The diagnostic features of the
various eruptions are dealt with in detail, in order that they may
give help in determining the lines of treatment. The more recent
work in clinical pathology, both microscopical and chemical, is for
the first time brought into use in an English text-book. The book
is freely illustrated with original photographs.

THE CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION

OF GASTRIC AND INTESTINAL

DISEASES BY THE AID OF

TEST MEALS.

By VAUGHAN HARLEY, M.D. Edin., M.R.C.P., F.C.S.,

Professor of Pathological Chemistry, University College, London ;

And FRANCIS GOODBODY, M.D. Dub., M.R.C.P.,

Assistant Professor of Pathological Chemistry, University College, London.

Demy 8vo. 8s. 6d. net.

This book opens with a description of the method of obtaining
gastric contents, and the estimation of the capacity of the stomach.
The various Test Meals employed in diagnosis are next described.
The macroscopical examination of the gastric contents and conclu-
sions to be drawn on inspection are discussed, and a short descrip-
tion of the microscopical appearances follows. The chemical
analysis of the gastric contents is then given. The Organic Diseases
of the Stomach are all separately described, with specimen cases of
analysis to illustrate them. The Functional Diseases of the Stomach,
which are more frequently met with in ordinary practice than the
Organic Diseases, are also very fully given. The chemical methods
employed in the investigation of Intestinal Diseases are then de-
scribed with great fulness, four types of Test Meals being given.

Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books 15

A GUIDE TO DISEASES OF THE

NOSE AND THROAT AND THEIR

TREATMENT.

By CHARLES ARTHUR PARKER, F.R.C.S. Edin.

Demy 8vo. With 254 Illustrations. i8s. net.

EXTRACT FROM THE PREFACE.

' To acquire the necessary dexterity to examine a patient systemati-
cally so as to overlook nothing, to recognise and put in its proper
place the particular pathological condition found, and finally, but
chiefly, to treat both the patient and the local abnormality success-
fully, seem to me the three most important objects of a course of
study at a special hospital. This book, which is founded on lectures
given at the Throat Hospital with these objects in view, is now
published in the hope of helping those who are either attending or
have attended a short course of study at special departments or
special Hospitals for Diseases of the Throat and Nose. . . .'

THE DIAGNOSIS OF NERVOUS
DISEASES.

By PURVES STEWART, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P.,

Physician to Out-Patients at the Westminster Hospital, and Joint Lecturer on

Medicine in the Medical School ; Physician to the Royal National Orthopaedic

Hospital; Assistant Physician to the Italian Hospital.

Demy 8vo. With Illustrations and Coloured Plates. 15s. net.

This book, which is intended for the use of senior students and
practitioners, to supplement the ordinary text-books, discusses the
most modern methods of diagnosis of Diseases of the Nervous
System. The substance of the work, which is illustrated by original
diagrams and clinical photographs, nearly 200 in number, was
originally delivered in lecture form to students at the Westminster
Hospital and to certain post-graduate audiences in London and else-
where. The subject of Nervous Diseases is approached from the
point of view of the practical physician, and the diagnostic facts are
illustrated, as far as possible, by clinical cases.

i6 Mr. Edward Arnold's List of New Books

MIDWIFERY FOR NURSES.

By HENRY RUSSELL ANDREWS, M.D., B.Sc. Lond.,
M.R.C.P. Lond.,

Assistant Obstetric Physician and Lecturer to Pupil Midwives at the London
Hospital; Examiner to the Central Midwives Board.

Crown 8w. With Illustrations. 4s. 6d. net.

This book is intended to supply the pupil midwife with all that is
necessary to meet the requirements of the Central Midwives Boar d,
and to be a practical handbook for the certificated midwife.

ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

a Ce£t=boof5 for StuDents o£ Engineectng.
By C. G. LAMB, M.A., B.Sc,

Clare College, Cambridge,

Associate Memuer of the Institution of Electrical Engineers; Associate of the City

AND Guilds of London Institute.

Demy 8vo. With Illustrations. los. 6d. net.

The scope of this book is intended to be such as to cover approxi-
mately the range of reading in alternating current machinery and
apparatus considered by the author as desirable for a student of
general engineering in his last year — as, for example, a candidate for
the Mechanical Sciences Tripos at Cambridge.

A MANUAL OF HYDRAULICS.

By R. BUSQUET, ,^

Professor A l'^cole Industbielle de Lvon.

Translated by A. H. PEAKE, M.A.,

Demonstrator in Mechanism and Applied Mechanics in the University of Cambridge.

Crown 8vo. With Illustrations. 7s. 6d. net.

This work is a practical text-book of Applied Hydraulics, in which
complete technical theories and all useful calculations for the erection
of hydraulic plant are presented. It is not a purely descriptive work
designed merely for popular use, nor is it an abstruse treatise suitable
only for engineers versed in higher mathematics. The book is well
illustrated, and is full of Arithmetical Examples fully worked out. In
these examples, no knowledge is assumed beyond that of simple
arithmetic and the elements of geometry.